Loved by Law
by Kyra Marie
Summary: AU. When Mikan Sakura first met Natsume Hyuuga, she tried to punch him on the nose! A week later, they were engaged. Chapter 15: On Graduation day, a guy will give the second button of his uniform to the girl he likes, because it's the closest to the heart."
1. Brighter Than Sunshine

_**Loved by Law**_

**Summary**: When Mikan Sakura first met Natsume Hyuuga, she tried to punch him on the nose! So, it shouldn't be a surprise that they ended up grabbing each other's throats, right? What neither of them realizes, of course, is that the best of enemies _can _become partners— in work, law _and _passion.

**Inspirations**: Ann Kelly's _Partners in Passion_, Sophie Kinsella's _The Undomestic Goddess _and the television drama _Full House_.

**Author's Note**: After _Senior Tales, _any normal person would've wanted to just relax a bit and continue with their other stories or beta-read some writer's fics, but _no_, that's not me and I'm just so damn stubborn, I can't help myself from writing this down! So, here's another AU multi-chaptered story, from yours truly. Ü

**Disclaimer**: The writer lawfully respects the prodigious work of Tachibana Higuchi. In lesser words, Gakuen Alice and its highly imaginative realm aren't mine.

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* * *

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**Chapter I: **_**Brighter Than Sunshine**_

_Tied up in ancient history_

_I didn't believe in destiny_

_I look up; you're standing next to me_

_What a feeling._

_(Aqualung)_

_**

* * *

R**__ing. Ring. Ring. Ring._

He could've sworn he inactivated his alarm.

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

Then why the hell was it ringing non-stop?

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ri— Bam!_

"Narumi!"

Immediately, as if the man called for was leaning against the bedroom door, he dashed inside clad in jeans and a white button-up shirt. His wavy blonde hair was concealed beneath the French beret he wore sideways, and the grin on his mouth only confirmed the former's suspicion. "Yes, sir?"

"It's a bloody Saturday," his eyes were dangerously piercing against Narumi's; "Who gets up at five in the morning on a _bloody _Saturday?"

Anyone would have wondered how Narumi managed to extend the amused grin of his. "Mr. Nogi asked for your presence at exactly six."

Annoyed, he sunk back to his bed and covered his eyes with his right hand, warding off the light. "What, did he forget I'm his best friend?"

"Now, now, Natsume," Narumi clucked his tongue, "I don't think Ruka will appreciate your being late."

"That's _Mr. Hyuuga _to you," Natsume muttered, although he knew it was useless. Narumi was older by three years than any of them, and he was appointed as Natsume's assistant by another partner in the firm, Hotaru Imai. He would've denied, but the woman was adamant and said that if he was going to have a P.A. in the goddamned company (after scaring off countless of secretaries), he was getting a man who can tolerate his attitude.

What was it that she said? Ah, yes. Her exact words were: "You may be a top lawyer, Hyuuga, but you'll always be a child."

The woman was a Red Queen. Even Ruka cowered around her presence a couple of times.

Natsume sighed. He _should _get going. He still had to check up on his sister.

**

* * *

T**he skies were a magnificent shade of red, orange and yellow— almost like a painting on a canvas. She had to admire them for a few heartbeats. It was barely cold; the fog had at least lifted, but the warm zephyr of the morning still managed to get through her jacket. When the clouds started to move, she sighed and lowered her head. She knew she should start walking. If she won't, she'll miss the train, and the next trip wouldn't be for another two hours. By then, some people from her foster home would have found her.

She breathed deeply and closed her eyes. If she won't get caught, she'll probably never return to this place again. It was fun while it lasted, but she didn't belong here. She was a city girl. The countryside was no place for her. Sure, she became used to the farm and the local marketplace, and the singing birds she usually woke up to every single morning. She even got the hang of picking up errands in the market, when back in the city even the groceries were a drag.

_Forget it_, she told herself, _This isn't your place_.

And just as she was about to walk off, a familiar distant voice stopped her. "Mikan."

_Oh darn. _"I thought you were sleeping."

"Why are you leaving?"

"I don't belong here, Ken."

"You didn't seem to think you weren't last week."

Mikan flinched. They went for a picnic the previous weekend, with everyone in the foster home. He heard her exclaim that it was the best day of her life so far. "Things change."

"Right," He didn't believe her. It was obvious. "You sure fooled me."

She sighed for probably the hundredth time that day. "Ken, listen: I'm _sorry_, but I don't think the countryside is the place for me. I have a life in the city. I'll live in a house and see my mom. Please, Ken." Her eyes looked up to his, beseeching and desperate; "Please don't sell me out."

They stared at each other for a while. She had never been this distressed before; then again, she had never been in _this _kind of situation. She had never thought of escaping until three days ago. He had to admire her. She was so daring to try and do this. But he needed a little more convincing. Mikan realized that.

"Ken, we're eighteen," she said in a trembling voice, "Any day now they'll kick us out."

"They won't do that," he argued, "They would never do that."

"What, you think they'll let us get the beds while four-year-olds starve in the streets? Face it, Ken. We're going to the real world. I'm just starting out early."

There was a moment's silence as she allowed him to swallow her words. Finally, he blurted out, "We'll do it together. Wait for a few more weeks."

"I _can't _wait." Her lips were quivering. "I haven't seen my mom for so long." There was no stopping her, not even Ken could; she knew that now. "I'm sorry but… I promise to go back." Discreetly, she hid her right hand behind her and crossed her fingers, careful that he won't see.

He lit up a bit at her words. "You will?"

_No, I won't. _"I promise."

**

* * *

I**f there was one thing Natsume hated about his best friend— besides the fact that he wakes him up before the crack of dawn— was the _chauffer _who constantly drove him around. Sure, it gave him time to go through some case notes and minimizes Narumi's attention towards him, but Ruka's drivers were always slow. He knew Ruka was simply taking precaution. Natsume liked to drag race before they took up law, and no one wanted to take any chances.

It wasn't long, though, when the driver stopped in front of Alice Law Firms. Muttering incoherent yet palpably heated things, Natsume slammed the door hard in annoyance.

"Is something wrong, Natsume?" Narumi smiled, getting off the car as well. "If I were you, I wouldn't take it on the car."

"If I hit the driver, I'll end up having to save myself in court." Natsume snarled. He didn't need to hide the fact that his day was starting as hell. And it was all Narumi's fault, and his childish alarm prank. Why couldn't he have just stick with a simple nudge?

It was fairly quiet as they crossed the lobby. Most of the employees arrive thirty past six to seven. The only sound heard was the occasional _ping _from the elevators, silent murmurs from half-asleep lawyers who had to start work early and Narumi's joyful humming trailing behind him. He would've stopped him, but he wasn't going to give up early in the morning.

When they got on the lift, a haggard-looking employee dashed towards their direction, and Narumi automatically held the doors open. "Mr. Hyuuga, sir," he panted, "The notes you wanted retyped yesterday," He thrust a folder to Narumi's free hand, "The drafted contract for Project D," he pulled another folder from his arm, "and your morning coffee." He shifted his stance a bit and handed a large-size Starbucks to Natsume with a paper napkin wrapped around the cup.

The employee bowed and ran off after Narumi thanked him. As Natsume sipped a generous amount, he was given a rundown of his morning schedule.

"…in the briefing room at…"

_Ping_. "Morning, Mr. Hyuuga."

"…by sixteen past eight…"

_Ping. _"Good so far, Sir?"

"…go through deals for Project E with…"

_Ping. _"See you later, Mr. Hyuuga."

"…meeting with the real estate department head…"

_Ping_. "Hyuuga."

"Imai."

"…early lunch before the conference in…"

_Ping. _

"…for the divorce settlement tomorrow," Narumi finished just as they walked out of the elevator. The glass walls oversaw the rather busy streets on an early weekend morning.

"You're still with that woman?" Hotaru commented in revulsion, her heels tapping with them. "She's a complete nut."

"I don't give up on cases," Natsume replied briefly.

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Right. Your stupid pride. Whatever makes you sane, Hyuuga."

"Coffee, Miss Imai?" Her secretary had joined their throng and handed Hotaru an espresso. "Good morning, Mr. Hyuuga."

"The files, Anna?"

"Right here." Anna answered promptly and showed her a stack of seven folders, her pink hair bouncing behind her back. Natsume notice Hotaru eyeing the bright mane for a fraction of a second. "Sorted by date, stamped and ready for signing."

"Thank you."

"And Mr. Nogi wants to know if he can so kindly have those pictures from the…"

"Let's hear him himself, shall we?" Hotaru smirked, opening a meeting room.

Three of the walls were painted paper white with the occasional painting canvas nailed around the room, and by the North glass wall stood a young blonde man in a black suit, his back turned against them. "Good morning," he greeted and gestured; "Take a seat."

Natsume rolled his eyes at his best friend before sinking to one. "What's so important to send us before sunrise?" He drank the last of his coffee and motioned for Narumi to get him another.

Ruka shook his head amusedly and sunk to the chair behind the windows. He glanced seriously at Natsume in his left and to Hotaru on the other side; then, he sighed. "I'm going to lose my secretary."

There was a brief pause before the one on his left asked, "That's it?"

"No, of course not."

"Get on with it, Nogi."

Ruka eyed Hotaru with equal distaste and infuriation. "I won't bring the topic we both know of _right now_, Imai, but I assure you that once this meeting is closed, our one-on-one encounter is not going to be friendly." He swung back to professional mode and cleared his throat. "A case has been accepted in the PI branch, and apparently, they're having a bit of trouble and are asking if we could drop by." Just as he said that, he dropped a folder to each of them, all labeled

"The police are right down the street."

"Yes, well, even the police can't work it out. You know _that _particular one isn't so keen with runaway teenagers, especially when so often, they end up in the city morgue."

"Might I need to remind you that we're Alice Law Firms, not Japan Detective Association? We deal with laws, Nogi, not children with careless parents."

"Heartless," Natsume smirked, facing the glass windows.

Ruka sighed in exasperation. "Yes, but it wasn't _me _who decided to put on that branch. I'd want to leave all that work to the police, thank you very much." Narumi handed both him and Natsume a cappuccino. "Thanks."

"I'll go," Hotaru volunteered stonily. "I have one o'clock free. I'll drop by for forty-five minutes."

He raised an eyebrow, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Well, he really _couldn't _when just seconds earlier she sounded so against the branch. "Are you sure?"

"I'm a kick-ass lawyer," she dangerously noted, "And I want to make sure that this will be the _last _time they dump us a situation like _this_."

**I**f Mikan was asked how she was doing, she'd say she's thinking of coming up in front and guide the train herself. Simply put, it was too slow. She expected to be in the city by now. She's been travelling for nearly three hours. Of course the train couldn't help but halt for _thirty damned minutes _due to combustion, or whatever they reasoned, but wasn't there enough time for it to rest before it journeyed? Or, at the very least, the men hauling the coal?

She inwardly groaned. It would've at least made her feel a teensy bit better if she looked out the window and see tall buildings from afar, but all in sight were rice and cornfields and the typical farm animal. She felt like she was still in the country, and it painfully reminded her of everything she had to leave behind.

There was this brown horse, Saddle, whom she fed carrots at least once everyday, and a little pony named Junior. Then the kids in the foster home, who clung to her all those years, who vomited on the kitchen sink and left mud prints on the sitting room. Those innocent, naïve little children who found joy in throwing an apple core to the pigs' trough and playing hide and seek before dinnertime. There were her friends in the local, the drunk-at-night-sane-during-day pub men, the teachers who 'home-schooled' her for free, and Ken, her best friend, her constant companion, her partner-in-crime.

She closed her eyes and silently chastised herself. Ken is history. And so are her friends, the pub men and the teachers. Everyone was, because from then on, she would be a nice responsible daughter, so her mother would never again leave her behind to random unrelated people.

When she flicked them open again, she realized she had dozed off for a while. The sun had already risen on above, indicating that it wasn't 'morning' any more. The atmosphere felt hot against her skin, and sweat trickled down her temple. She pulled out a handkerchief and cap from her luggage.

It was then when the realization had struck her, and she told herself with much satisfaction;

_I'm back, Tokyo._

**T**he only sound heard inside Natsume's private office were his fingers tapping against the keys and the constant clicks on the mouse attached to his laptop. Narumi sat comfortably on the couch, typing last minute notes he was instructed for the case. The afternoon sun had started to come up, so the blinds were put down. It was sixteen past ten, and in four more minutes, a clerk will arrive with a pre-ordered take-out lunch from the restaurant across the street.

When the phone rang, Narumi routinely pressed the receiver on the stand beside him. "Natsume Hyuuga's office, how may we be of assistance?"

"_Narumi?_" a female voice from the other end asked, "_Is my brother there?_"

"I'll pitch him in." He connected her to Natsume; "Aoi wants you."

He didn't waste another second in grabbing his phone. "What?"

"_Can't you be any ruder?"_

"Are you hungry or something?"

"_No, of course not. I just want to remind you that you _can't _be late for Saturday Movie Marathon Night_._"_

"That's not for another ten hours."

"_You do know that most of the time your work extends past midnight."_

"I'll see you later."

"_Alright, but promise, okay?"_

"Yeah, whatever. Brat."

"_Psycho._"

When he hung up the phone, he saw Narumi's rare frown. "What?"

"Your client, Miss Hatsuni…" his voice trailed off, and his frown deepened.

Natsume raised a brow. "I'm meeting her after lunch."

"Yes, but I don't think she mentioned that she has bruises, have she?" Narumi said perplexedly, handing the sloppy written note from the nurse.

He blinked. This was new. The woman has been his client for over a month, when she came crying and asking for a divorce with her wealthy husband of three years. He sent her for counseling the last three weeks, but neither the counselor nor his client had mentioned anything about any bruise. "That's not possible," he said, "I've read that file over a hundred times."

"No, this one came from the clinic, when she had a headache three days ago."

"I didn't ask for that."

"I have no idea, sir. It was among the stacks." Clearly, Narumi was baffled; he looked up. "Do you think Miss Hatsuni was abused? That doesn't seem possible, though…"

"Well, she couldn't have beaten herself up!" Natsume sighed in aggravation. Just when he thought things were going well with the case and he'll get the papers signed. Apparently, both parties were stubborn and had quite an attitude. A sudden knock was head, cutting his thoughts, and a girl he quite recognized on the first floor popped her head in.

"Your lunch, sir?"

* * *

"**I** need those files tomorrow, fourteen past eight, _sharp_

."

"_Yes, sir."_

"And I want them compiled in a new envelope."

"_God wonders how many times this one was harassed."_

"Just get on with it, Narumi."

"_Yes, sir. And, Natsume?"_

"Hn."

"_Aoi prefers her ice cream cold and _frozen_."_

He snapped his phone shut in utter annoyance. Narumi didn't need to remind him that he was exactly an two hours and thirty-three minutes late (and he could count on her to have kept track of it!), but this time, he had a pretty good excuse. He could casually tell her that he was off looking for her favorite ice cream flavor, and there was traffic. He might even tell her he hit a pole and got a ticket for speeding. _That would've been believable_, he mused.

Glancing quickly at the speedometer, he considered that he'd be standing on Aoi's doormat in three more minutes. He turned left on a familiar road, careful not to come across any cop. As much as he _hated _suffering from Aoi's often bizarre choice of movies, he had to escape work even for just a few hours. Get out of all the drama, particularly Yuri Hatsuni's.

He didn't like to agree with Hotaru, but she was right— as she almost often is. His client was _nuts_, a complete mad woman. When he _gently _asked her about her bruises, the damned twenty-five year old burst into tears, and it took Narumi a whole twenty minutes and three boxes of tissues before she finally calmed down and clearly told him everything. Teary eyed and choking, she went to a long and quite boring story on how she first met her husband, and how he was so kind and affectionate and _handsome_, and naturally, _"I fell in love!"_

He recalled his reaction, and fortunately, only Natsume saw it. He was up for leaving the woman and let her settle her own divorce papers, but then again, that would only prove Hotaru Imai that he was a quitter, and that's one of the things he wasn't.

When he rounded another corner, he saw the all-too-familiar pick-up truck. Aoi would of course manage to cajole his father, but the teenager turned to him and practically hollered on his ear for a whole week to get her the multi-owned red truck. He tried to figure out the mystery behind the car and told his sister she could buy any new car, but she was so adamant to stick to that particular one.

Three hours later he found out that she had the money to buy the truck— and five more of those.

_One minute_, he thought, and stepped on the pedal without haste. He zoomed through the streets until he reached the bungalow house he bought after graduation, for a more peaceful place, to review for the examinations. When he finally convinced his parents _and _grandparents that he was good enough,— not that they needed any convincing at all; they threw him to the pits of hell two days when he got his test results— he bought a house that practically separated him from the rest of the neighborhood.

He pulled his car on the driveway when something caught his eye. _What the_—_?_

And as a trained lawyer specializing in all areas (and spending quite some time in the PI branch), he did the most rational and most levelheaded means when he saw a human silhouette climbing behind Aoi's wretched pick-up truck: he opened the car window nearest and threw the first solid thing he could reach: his mobile phone.

The phone had hit the silhouette somewhere in the head, and with haste, he jumped off the car and pulled the figure off and down. He heard a soft but equally hard _thump _against the truck, and silently hoped that it would have knocked her down… except it struggled and kept pushing him hard. He wondered if his lungs were damaged in the process. The boy, he finally concluded, was perhaps a couple of years younger, or even four. He threw a firm fist against the boy's left shoulder, throwing him back just a little. It stood up, and Natsume felt a fist on his temple, obviously missing his nose.

"Shit," he cursed, and then lunged for the boy. He was being difficult, and Natsume had no patience for that. He had more than a few kilos of weight working on his favor, and so he rolled the kid and sat on his backside and shoved his head into the soggy grass lawn.

Natsume was bending the guy's arm when the porch lights flicked open, and Aoi came outside, a robe covering her silk purple pajamas and was clutching a baseball bat hard. "What. Are. You. Doing?" She thundered dangerously.

"He was about to steal your truck," Natsume muttered and exerted more pressure on the boy's head. "Do me a favor and call the police."

"_What_?" Aoi shrieked, "Are you out of your mind? Get off the poor thing, you dolt!" Without warning, she dropped the bat and gave her brother a good kick on the back.

He looked at her incredulously, as she started muttering vile things and scrambling towards the pseudo-thief. "What is _your _problem? I just saved your truck!"

"The truck is parked _there_, big brother," Aoi snarled. She _tsk_ed and turned to him with unbelieving and distrustful eyes. "Just how much do you hate your job that you're willing to get yourself to court?"

He took a long look at his sister for a while and squinted through the lawn to find his phone. "I'm calling the police and send _that _kid to jail."

"What kind of person are you? Resulting to such tactics! Leave the women out of your crazy antics!"

"What did I do to you?" He always knew she was mad, but she usually made sense. He had barely even touched her!

"Stop talking and help me take her inside," Aoi said curtly and added with a sneer, "_Woman-beater_!" She turned her attention back on the wounded and felt her forehead. "She blacked out and she has a fever." She regarded him warily; "Just how hard did you hit her?"

"I didn't hit her!" Suddenly realizing his own words, he immediately defended himself, finally understanding Aoi's attitude. He saw her remove the ski cap from the thief's head, and a mass of long, brown mane waved down. "I don't hit females," he added in his most severest and furious tone.

She threw him a death glare. "You didn't _know_ she was femaleuntil I told you. Now come _on_ and don't even dare say no!"

Thirty minutes later, Natsume was still stuck on the couch, while the teenager occupied the whole sofa. He held the ice pack on his temple and watched as Aoi regarded the girl carefully, who, he guessed, was probably two or three years older than her. She had been tending to the unknown's aide and had left him to grab some ice for himself.

"_She's the top priority_," Aoi had said. He twitched in irritation. The melted ice cream was dumped in the cooler to freeze it, and though he was allowed to touch the remote control, he wasn't allowed to turn the volume up, just in case the blasted thing might wake up Aoi's sleeping patient, who he still hadn't trusted. After all, neither girl had proof to confirm that the older of the two was innocent.

He dished out his BlackBerry and sent a quick e-mail to one of the police investigators he had been attached to and have been with during a number of cases. _Reo_, he typed, _give me a list of all missing cases from ages sixteen to twenty. Tomorrow, eight o'clock, sharp. _He sent the message, confident enough that he would find a complete organized list on his desk the next day.

**

* * *

M**ikan felt like the whole world was spinning around her the moment her eyes flickered open. She tried to move, but she could barely do anything. At once, though, a pair of delicate and warm hands enclosed hers, and the bad television-like coverage started to get some consciousness back. She felt like her head was going to crack open.

"Did my head crack?" she mumbled, flinching as she tried to reach for her head to locate where the throbbing pain was.

The hands who had touched her earlier was gently put above her head, and when she looked up, she found a pair of deep crimson eyes looking at her with much concern. A curtain of shoulder-length ashen mane draped around her little face, framing her pretty features. The girl said in a humored tone, "No, I don't think he did much of an impact. Umm," she glanced behind her, but Mikan couldn't see who or what it was. "My brother thought you were stealing my truck so he, well, panicked."

"I didn't panic," a deep velvety voice retorted in a dull manner, "I had the presence of mind planted on my system."

Mikan twitched. Sure, she appreciated the fact that they took her in at such a late hour, but one of her saviors was just too arrogant for his own good. She saw the teenager shake her head and muttered about an aspirin. When she stood up and walked away, Mikan saw, for the first time, her supposedly "knight in shining armor". _He's no knight, that's for sure_, she thought, _but he _is _shining_. He had dark raven hair that looks like it's been tousled purposely and the same rare eyes as his sister's. She had to admit; he looked gorgeous and smart, even in his crinkled, half-buttoned white collared shirt. He was staring at her intently, as if looking through her. Mikan suddenly felt conscious. Her eyes quickly travelled down herself. She wasn't wearing her jeans and grey turtleneck, but instead in silk pajamas that looked very much alike the teenager's who left.

"What's your name?" The guy suddenly asked. His arms were spread on the sides of the leather coach, still wearing his x-ray-like gaze.

"Mikan Sakura," she managed to spit out. "What's yours?"

But he wasn't listening anymore. His attention was on the BlackBerry he grabbed from the side table. Before she can retort for his rudeness, his sister came inside with a glass of water and a tablet. She smiled at Mikan. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, I guess," Mikan replied, accepting the medicine and grinned. "Thank you, good Samaritan."

The girl smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Aoi, Mikan. Aoi Hyuuga." She jerked a thumb towards the guy behind her, who was already watching their exchange. "He's Natsume, and he's a lawyer." She frowned. "I'm still trying to figure that one out. My best guess is that he dated the person who gave him his license."

**

* * *

F**ive hours later, no one would've guessed that Mikan was an eighteen-year-old runaway who almost got her head cracked open when she was suspected to steal Aoi's pick-up truck. Both girls sat on the carpet with pillows, bed comforters, ice cream, popcorn and soda. Neither slept all night; they were watching movies and swapping stories. Natsume had retreated to his room when Aoi said he didn't need to stay up with her, the former very much into the idea to grab some sleep.

It was a few minutes after five when Natsume walked inside the family room in a pajama bottom and a towel around his neck. He glanced once in the room before clearing his throat, and both teenagers looked up. "You're coming to work with me today."

"Who are you talking to?" Aoi asked, tilting her head questioningly.

He rolled his eyes. "The vase. I mean _you_, idiot."

Instead of being furious at his choice of nicknames, Aoi frowned. "I don't want to go today."

"You're going. You need to at least familiarize yourself around."

"I'm almost _always _there every week."

"And I want you there today as well."

Aoi shook her head and pointed at the brunette who was eating ice cream. "What about Mikan? I can't leave her alone."

Natsume sighed. He knew he can't send the girl away, especially in her state. "Fine, she can come." He shook his head when his sister threw her arms around a blinking Mikan. For some reason, he couldn't ignore some throbbing feeling that things weren't going to be normal.

**

* * *

A**nd he was right.

The moment Mikan Sakura had bounded off the car in front of Alice Law Firms and inside the building, heads turned towards their party. Aoi coming to work with him was of course no surprise, but the lovely teenager beside him had got all the attention. People whispered to each other, exchanging rumors made and hastily constructed on the spot.

They reached the elevators without anyone approaching them, until the same employee from the day before asked for the doors held open, folders tucked on his left and a tray of Starbucks coffees on the other. Narumi offered a hand, but the guy simply shook his head and rode the elevator with them.

"This is going to be long," he apologized to Natsume, though not really seeming remorseful. He was eyeing Mikan for a moment, who smiled when she saw him looking. He turned back to the lawyer and showed him some of the files. "I found some information regarding those companies who requested you for their loan contracts… these are their backgrounds… the bank's terms of agreement…"

_Ping_.

"…late mails from yesterday…"

_Ping_.

"…a note from Ms. Imai…"

_Ping_.

"…and your usual morning coffee."

Natsume had sent the warning glance at Narumi, who immediately understood and pushed the employee out of the lift, grabbing the files and the coffee. "Thank you, we'll see you later."

The doors closed, and Narumi chuckled. Aoi seemed rather amused, but Mikan was frowning. "That wasn't very nice. If you wanted him to stop, you could've just asked him to leave. You can't expect him to understand your implications and get out when the doors _ping_."

"If they work for me, they shouldn't be idiots." Natsume growled. He secretly wished that she would quickly find her way back home. He couldn't stand another minute having to put up with her. Besides, she _punched_ him. He couldn't understand what part of that fact his sister can't grasp.

"Mr. Hyuuga!" A man he recognized from real estate had rounded up a corner, a briefcase dangling in his right hand. On his left was a mobile. "Mr. Nogi's waiting for you in his office." Without saying more, he raised his right to bid and turned his back against them, talking to the person on the other end of his line.

"Oh, goody," Aoi squealed as they walked towards Ruka's office, around the corner. "I haven't seen Ruka for a while." She turned to Mikan and winked, "He's a prince, you know. Ruka Nogi. If he wasn't my brother's best friend, I would've asked him out."

"That's incest," Natsume pointed out, "And Ruka won't even consider you."

"Says the lawyer who dated his teacher." Aoi sung in an annoying, childish voice, ruffling his hair, making Mikan laugh and Narumi chortle. Natsume rolled his eyes. Challenging Aoi was like challenging the devil's daughter. She can be provoking, intimidating and fierce yet managing to sound funny and look innocently adorable. He was lucky to have her as a sister, and on some points, quite unfortunate as well.

When they had finally approached Ruka's white glossy door, Narumi held the door open with a mere roll of his eyes. Aoi had stepped in after Natsume, and Mikan came third, allowing Narumi to close the door behind him.

Mikan looked around the room in awe. A simple bright chandelier lighted the room, illuminating the white glossy ambiance. Paintings on canvases hung on the walls, all carefully painted and obviously gently colored. There was a big sunflower and bee sipping its nectar, a picture of a woman and a child, and a man playing the piano on the wall nearest to her.

"…think that she's comfortable working with Imai?" Natsume was saying in pure disgust, "The woman's a devil."

"I know that much, Natsume, thank you very much." The unfamiliar voice snapped Mikan back to reality. She turned her attention away from the mysterious piano-playing man and looked towards the speaker.

She swore her heart stopped beating for a second.

The speaker was frowning, yet his cerulean blue eyes sparkled with a glint. He had bright mustard hair properly divided and combed. If he wasn't wearing a black suit, Mikan would've mistaken her as a model who jumped out of a magazine. When he noticed her looking, he smiled, and for some reason, she felt her cheeks heating up.

"Hello," he said in a friendly voice, completely abandoning Natsume and turning to Mikan.

She managed to stutter the first word she thought of: "H—h—Hi." _Oh, great. That's all you have to say? You are such a loser, Sakura!_

"I'm Ruka. Ruka Nogi." He held out his hand for her to shake. "And you are?"

"Mikan Sakura," she squeaked, accepting his hand. She didn't want to let go, she wanted those warm, gentle hands that could probably play the piano to hold her forever, feel it against her. _Alright, snap out of it_.

"Nice to meet you, Mikan," Ruka smiled at her, and then went back to the annoyed _tch-_ing _Natsume_. "Look, I don't think Imai can really make her comfortable, but you need to go to this meeting."

"I'm a lawyer, for god's sake!"

"Yes, I know that, which is why you're here. But really, Natsume, do you think your mother would let you go so easily?"

"I've always wished she would," Natsume replied sarcastically. He ran a hand through his hair, which actually made no difference when Aoi ruffled it earlier. "Leave Hatsuni for a while. She'll make do with a few hours. The woman needs a counselor, Ruka. Not a goddamn Hitler."

"She can barely stay put." Ruka sighed. "She wants everything to happen _now_."

"Well, that's not possible." He muttered, before sighing in exasperation. "That's it. _Fine_. I'm going to the stupid conference and I'll bring the case right on when I come back."

"Good. I'll give you a copy of some faxed notes you can go through…" He shrugged at Natsume's raised brow. "My secretary's out."

"I swear," Aoi piped in, plopping down on a chair, "one day you'll see your secretary hanging out in Starbucks. Her stomach can't be _that _big already."

"She's pregnant, what do you expect?" Ruka muttered, and then dug for his phone in the inside of his jacket. "Right, I'll see you later. I need to meet up with Hitler about…" His voice trailed off and Natsume smirked, earning an accusing glare.

Narumi held the door open again, but just as Natsume was about to bound out the office with Aoi and Mikan on tow, he heard Ruka speak, but surprisingly, it wasn't him he wanted to speak to.

"Oh, Mikan?"

Mikan felt her knees wobble when she turned to face Ruka. "Y-yes?"

"Would you like to have brunch with me?"

"Oh, err, umm…"

Aoi nudged her softly on the ribs. Mikan turned and saw her given a clear message: _What are you waiting for? Say yes!_

Mikan gulped, all nervous and jittery. She went back to Ruka and smiled briefly. "Sure."

He grinned. "Excellent. I'll meet you in the lobby at ten."

When Narumi closed the door after Mikan, he saw her cheeks warming up and looking as if the sun had shone when she said 'Sure'.

**

* * *

Author's Note**: Err, yeah, Natsume seems OOC here, don't you think? Comments and suggestions would be highly appreciated. :)


	2. Feels Like Home

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took quite a while! I had to juggle my responsibilities, change schedules… and, well, _voila_! :) This may seem short and, well, plot-less, but it explains a bit more of the characters and their thoughts.

* * *

**Chapter II: **_**Feels Like Home**_

_I got my bags by the door.__  
__And I'm ready to leave.__  
__So yeah, I'm moving forward,_

_I'm on my way to find where I need to be._

_(Orianthi) _

* * *

"**U**h…"

Mikan blinked repeatedly before the bathroom mirror as Aoi fussed around her. For the last thirty minutes, Aoi had put barrettes and diamond clips to hair sticks and hair combs. In that half hour, Mikan went to England, New York, Egypt and Persia. She didn't know what Aoi was going crazy for. After all, she and Ruka were just going to have brunch. Maybe a bowl of miso soup or green tea and strawberry daifuku. It certainly wasn't a place for… fancy gowns or summer dresses. She was casual in Aoi's clothes: dark jeans that luckily fitted her and a nautical shirt over a black cardigan. It was getting cold, and since she had a fever the night before, she was made to wear the knitted cover-up.

"Shush, Mikan," Aoi said, dabbing the lipgloss against Mikan's lips. "Sit _still,_ will you?"

"Aoi, I'm having _brunch_," Mikan said as soon as the younger girl lifted her hands away from her mouth. "I'm not going on to some fancy dinner party."

"Rule number one, Mikan," Aoi said, fluffing the long brown hair next, "You must _always _look your best."

"Yeah, and I know I look presentable now, so can you please stop?" Mikan rolled her eyes. "I have only five minutes."

Aoi sighed with a frown. "Fine," she said, "But I meant what I said, Mikan. Ruka's not the type who'd just ask girls out."

Mikan knew she was blushing, and immediately looked down to brush off strands of hair. She didn't really like Ruka. He just seems so appealing to her, with his Prince Charming features that she thought didn't exist in real life. Ruka was, well, good-looking. But so was Natsume Hyuuga, except he was rude. Very, very much.

"Anyway, you're late," Aoi exclaimed, packing all her stuffs. "You better hurry down."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Gee, I wonder whose fault is _that_?"

**

* * *

R**uka may head Alice Law Firms, but he wasn't very posh or anything, even though he _can _be. He wasn't the richest bachelor around, but he has money. With his designer mother and business tycoon father, they were both earning plenty, and Ruka's an only child. Yet, he managed to be simple and modest despite all the wealth.

Which is probably why Mikan Sakura has been so engrossed in everything he's been saying for the last fifteen minutes.

They were sitting on a tea place not too far from the firm, just in case Ruka's suddenly needed. They sat beside the windows, and though Mikan enjoyed watching random people on the streets, she found Ruka far more interesting than any man. He was gentle and friendly. He had with him an aura that made Mikan to just listen. He got her to talk. There was just something about Ruka Nogi that made Mikan melt to her toes.

"Tell me, Mikan," Ruka asked, "What are you doing here in Tokyo?"

Mikan sipped a bit from her tea. "I'm looking for my mom."

"Oh," Ruka frowned, "Is she missing? The firm could help you with that. We have notable cases that you can go through for reference, if you'd like."

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I have an address to her house. She left me some years back, but she never came to take me again. That's why I chose to look for her instead. I mean, what if she's being held captive by some nasty foreigner?" Mikan shrugged. "It's terrible, all the possible things that could happen. You see them all the time in the movies, read them in the books, witness them in the shows. There's a very big possibility."

"But what do you _really_ think?"

She thought for a moment, and then shrugged. "Maybe she has another family and couldn't bear to see me anymore. Maybe she got pregnant and couldn't show her face to me. My mom's like that. She's too worried of what people would think of me, if they'd label me as the 'illegitimate daughter' or something, which, really, I'm not." Mikan giggled and shook her head, slicing a piece of cake. "She's crazy, you know. Everyone loves her. I look a lot like her but she's really… charming. She has an aura." She smiled and her eyes sparkled. "Like you."

Ruka's eyes narrowed for half a second, and then chuckled. "Like me? What led you to that? I honestly think I'm just a random lawyer on the street."

Mikan shook her head. "You stand out in the crowd. I don't know, maybe because you're so… normal. You look so laidback and easy. You have a big reputation and everyone respects you."

He chuckled once more and bowed his head, fiddling with his tea half-empty tea cup. "Natsume's more of that reputation. He practically owns the firm. I'm just taking over because he's mom wants him for their business. He's a busy man, but he's good. And he's the best. He may not look like the gentle one, but he is. Rub on his good side, never wake him in the morning, bring him his coffee. Natsume's a simple person. Well, he tries to be."

It wasn't hard to ignore the pride in his voice. Mikan didn't miss it. "You're glad you're friends with him," she pointed out needlessly. "He must really be important to earn your respect like that."

"He and I are childhood buddies, although he didn't know much of that." Ruka pursed his lips, the edges twitching. "He let me stay close, and I didn't question whatever he did. I guess, in a way, Natsume and I… clicked. We're a pair of wheels working together. We're your compatible pair of shoes. Of course, he'd be the right. I'll be the left pair."

* * *

"**O**f course, I'm right." Natsume waved Narumi off. "That girl is up to something. She might be spying for my mother. She's eighteen years old, for Pete's sake. Kids are easily bribed."

Narumi sighed. "You judge her too early, Natsume. Not everyone has motives the way you think."

"It's called being _analytical, _Narumi. I'm _logical_. I see beyond the box. I _think_. And that's _Mr. Hyuuga _to you."

His assistant merely chuckled. "Whatever you say, sir."

Natsume rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of his desk, while Narumi closed the door behind him. He opened the thick brown package from Mouri and quickly scanned the documents. _Sakura… Sakura… Sakura, Ayako… Sakura, Fujika… Sakura, Hana… Sakura, Lee… Sakura, Yuka…_

He dropped the files on the floor in frustration. Narumi, who was leaning against the door with arms crossed, looked over at his direction.

"Not there?"

He made an annoyed sound. "She needs to be _someone_."

"Mr. Hyuuga, give it a rest." Narumi sounded exasperate for a change, rolling his eyes. "The girl was simply lost and your sister's just kind. When you come back, she's out of your house."

"Make sure of it, Narumi," he stared at him pointedly, "I don't need any more baggage."

**

* * *

M**ikan couldn't believe it. She's been staring off to space ever since she separated ways with Ruka. Since Natsume had to go away, he was going to have an extra load. He said it didn't matter, that it was his job. Mikan figured Ruka's loyalty to Natsume could go long ways.

"Uh, Earth to Mikan?"

She blinked rapidly. Aoi was leaning towards Mikan with her big knowing eyes.

"So, what happened?"

"What happened with what?"

Aoi rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. What happened with Ruka?"

"We had tea…"

"…and?"

"And talked."

"…and?"

"That's all."

Aoi sighed deeply and jumped on the couch. "That's all? God, Ruka might be a creep after all."

"What?" Mikan suddenly said, turning defensive. "No, he's not!"

"Ahhh…" Aoi nodded knowingly. "So _you_'re not telling me _something_. After treating you like a sister… keeping you in… saving you from my brother's wrath… this is what I get? Fine. All I wanted was a simple narration. If that's so hard, well, alright."

Mikan whined, "Don't be like that, Aoi!"

"No, no. You want to be all secretive and stuff. Well, you can go and find your mom now. Besides, Aoi doesn't hold any special title in your heart!"

"Aoi…"

"…and here I am, thinking all the while you might be my soul sister…"

"Alright, alright!" Mikan sighed loudly, hands up, "He gave me a kiss. On the _hand_. Happy?"

Aoi was suddenly quiet. Her eyes held no expression. Finally, she shook her head, "Ruka _is _a creep."

**

* * *

R**uka tapped his fingers against the table, body sideways and eyes staring outside Tokyo. He was waiting for Imai, though he didn't really need to bother as the woman often comes five to ten minutes before the scheduled time. _Time is gold_, she frequently quotes.

_Gold_. It reminds him suddenly of Mikan's eyes when staring on to something light. She didn't particularly fancy the girl, she was six years his junior. But there was something enticing about her. He couldn't figure it out. Mikan was a lovely girl, but so was Aoi.

_Knock, knock, knock._

_All sisterly_, he decided. _That was all._

"Come in."

_All sisterly_, he repeated to himself.

"Nogi."

_Nothing more, nothing less_.

"Imai."

"Here," Hotaru handed him an envelope. "I need you to sign those papers by half past two. It's regarding that case with Miss Hatsuni. That woman's hell to work with."

Ruka scoffed. "Maybe you need to learn how to lighten up so everyone won't be so afraid of you."

"And perhaps, you, Nogi, would like to learn how to handle your own business." Hotaru returned flawlessly.

"I _am _running my business smoothly, Imai. However, I can't tolerate such behavior on the firm."

"I am a frank woman. I don't waste my time, Nogi. Now, do you need anything else?"

"Yes," Ruka sighed, pushing the envelope aside. "The PI Branch needs your help."

"I think," Hotaru's eyes flared, "I have made it clear yesterday that I do _not _hold any interest in joining their little squad?"

"I know that, Imai. But they need your help. Apparently, a parent downtown lost a kid, and it's been two weeks. The mother's frantic, I don't think she even managed to hold that long."

"And _what _does this have to do with me? Nogi, even a _dog _can make a kid go home."

"Well… apparently, you know the kid, and he's pretty adamant. Your neighbor, I think?" He scanned through the paper under three folders. "Youichi Hijiri."

* * *

"**S**o, apparently, my brother needs to be away," Aoi explained as she fluffed the pillows inside the guest room, "so we have the entire house to ourselves. Usually he stays here until Sunday, you know. Anyway, I'll give you a change of clothes, so you won't have to repack. You can have anything in the kitchen in case you get hungry."

Mikan felt really embarrassed. She's been staying over someone's house for two days. What ever happened to her plan of looking for her mother as soon as she steps out of the train?

"Hey, uh, Aoi, it'd be fine with me to stay outside. I mean, the porch's not too bad."

"Don't be silly, Mikan. You might get sick again. This is nothing. Besides, it's so boring here. I'm often alone in this house."

Mikan was confused. "What about your friends?"

Aoi sat on the bed, swinging her feet and shrugged. "I don't really have many friends. Most of the time, they're just after the privileges, you know? I mean, mom and dad are both, well… well. With money, I mean. Sometimes, they're after my brother. It sucks having well-off parents and a so-called handsome brother. I mean… it's really difficult getting friends. You know what I mean?"

Mikan smiled consolingly and sat beside Aoi. "I don't have vivid images of me and my parents in the past, and friends aren't much of a problem with me. Back in the orphanage, everyone's your friend. We're like one, big, family. But you need to create a distance, too. You can't keep holding on to them because eventually, some of them will have to go."

"Do you have a special friend, though?"

Mikan thought for a while. A special friend. "Yes." She replied unconsciously, thoughts drifting. "He's… kind. Charming. Wonderful. And he's… adorable. Especially with kids. He's nice and friendly, too. He's… well, I had to leave him." Mikan shrugged. "I can't keep groping on them. They say that if you love something, you'd have to let it free."

"So… you love this guy?"

She thought for a second. Did she? Of course she did. "Sure, I do. He's one of my best friends. I just wish we'll still be when I meet him again."

"No, no. I mean, do you have any… romantic feelings for him?"

"No, of course not. That'd be almost… incest."

And they both laughed, remembering Aoi's comment on Ruka.

Mikan then realized something. _The people around me makes everywhere my home._

**

* * *

N**atsume signed paper after paper. He drank his coffee when he had the chance. He read a couple of case files in between.

He hated his mother.

He had flown to Hokkaido to meet a businessman who, in Natsume's opinion, was too indolent to fly to Tokyo. Though the man had a name in the society— apparently, hot springs and ski resorts are the thing in Hokkaido, and the man has both.

But something was bothering him.

He couldn't exactly figure it out. Perhaps it was about his client, Hatsuni, and the (in his opinion) disturbed Imai. Or perhaps there was something wrong in the firm, and Ruka's beside himself.

Worse, it might have to do with Aoi. Aoi and that eighteen-year-old mushroom.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the girl.

Right, that was a lie.

He didn't trust her.

Natsume wasn't the type to immediately judge for no reason. But he was a different man. With his current state, he has to be wary. He can't trust every person he meets. Hell, he didn't trust Imai, but again, that was a different thing.

No, there was something about Sakura. Who sleeps on random trucks late at night? He managed to hear some of the things she told his sister last night. All he got was that she used to be in an orphanage, abandoned my her mother, and now she's looking for said woman to make amends.

_Pathetic_.

And he still didn't trust her. The possibility that she's after him and his money is big. Or maybe, this is a plot of his mother's. She seems like the type to do insane things, and the girl looked like the type to be easily fooled. Sure, she used to live in Tokyo, but that was more than a decade ago. You don't exactly remember everything you went through with when you were four, six, eight years old.

He didn't. And he had no intention to.

* * *

"**R**eally, Aoi," Mikan smiled, "You've done enough."

"But what if you get lost?" asked the younger, "I mean, come on, Tokyo's not the same thing when you were young. It changed somewhat."

"I promise I'm going to be careful, _mom_," Mikan rolled her eyes. "Really, Aoi. Chill. I'm going to be alright. I have an address, I'm going to see my mom, and I'm going to visit you right after I spend half a day crying. You happy?"

"Oh, you will?" Aoi lit up. "Oh, please come by often, Mikan! I mean, I know you miss your mom and all, and this is so selfish of me—"

"Don't worry, Aoi. I promise I'll drop by." She ruffled Aoi's hair and kissed her cheek.

She felt like a big sister.

Two hours later, Mikan was leaping off the cab with her luggage on tow. She has been travelling a while. The address was hastily written down, and an interchanging of two letters drove her to the other side of Tokyo. The man, however, was kind. She didn't catch his name, but he was jolly and talked to her throughout the journey. She told him about the countryside, about his mother, and the Hyuugas. He knew Aoi's parents and said they were well-known in the industry.

After bidding goodbye to the cab man, she had to blink a couple of times. She turned back to the address and back to the house.

There was no doubt.

Her mother lived in a pretty bungalow house, with a well-kept lawn and brick pathways.

_No wonder she didn't return_.

Taking a deep breath, Mikan started for the door.


	3. Kill the Messenger

_**Chapter III: Kill the Messenger**_

_Kill the messenger,_

_I swear it's not me,_

_Just someone I used to know._

_(Jack's Mannequin)_

**

* * *

M**ikan rang the doorbell twice and tried to look presentable. She hoped she looked good enough, in Aoi's dark jeans and a shirt with a foreign band print. She ran a nervous hand through her hair, fixed her espresso fringes and straightened her clothes.

_This is it, Mikan_, she told herself, _Put on your pretty smile._

**

* * *

H**otaru's eyes quickly scanned Youichi Hijiri's files for the second time. She still couldn't figure things out. It was simply a puzzle.

There was a knock on the door and Anna's pink hair bobbed in. "Miss Imai? Phone call for you. Line 2."

She grabbed her phone and Anna closed the door. "Imai."

"_Imai."_

She twirled around her chair and faced Tokyo. It was nearing nightfall. "What a surprise. And what have I earned to be blessed by Natsume Hyuuga's voice all the way from Hokkaido?"

"_I need you to do something."_

"You are in no position to command me, Hyuuga."

"_I need information on the girl Aoi's with, Mikan Sakura."_

"What is this? Is the great Hyuuga, perhaps, entranced by a mere teenager? Oh, I'm sorry," she sneered, "she's no teenager. She's a _woman_."

"_I'm not. I simply need information on her."_

_"_What about?"

_"The standard protocol. You know how things go."_

"Why?" she asked simply. She have not met the girl yet, but saw her for a quick moment when she went out of Ruka's office.

"_You don't need to know."_

"Are you, what is the term? Checking her out?"

"_Imai."_

An image of a stack of bills flashed through her mind. "This won't come cheap, Hyuuga."

She heard him sigh. _"I know_."

**

* * *

R**uka stared out of the windows as the sun began to set. It has always been his favorite part of the day, and he liked watching busy Tokyo gradually getting bathed in darkness. For some reason, the setting sun always made him think of his choices and decisions. It made him look back at the day that passed, of the things he did wrong, of the things he did right, of everything.

He thought about Natsume's case with Yura Hatsuni. He wondered about Imai's Youichi Hijiri. He asked himself if his last secretary thought he didn't pay well. He notioned, for a quick moment, as he did everyday, if he made the right decision, choosing law instead of taking up his dream to be a veterinarian.

Natsume's mother has always been amazed by Imai's domineering features. She approved of Natsume's way of handling things. But she chose neither to head Alice Law Firms. Instead, she chose gentle Ruka Nogi. He, at first, thought he had to change for the woman she came to know as an aunt. Terryfying, yes, but an aunt-figure, still. She was not fully up with Natsume's chosen course. She thinks he should've taken up business management to pursue his maternal grandparents' footsteps rather than take up his own father's. Ruka, up to this day, still has no idea why Natsume chose so, but it seems that his mother still has not given up her wish for him to take over their company and refused to make him head the firm. He knew Natsume breathed a little deeply when Ruka accepted so. He chose law when Natsume did. Sometimes, he wondered if he did the right thing, if what he did was out of loyalty or pity. He tries to shrug it off everyday. He didn't want such thoughts creep up his mind.

The skies were painted red-orange, and the sun was hiding. He sat back and relax. It has always been a quick moment, the sun setting, and he wanted to make the most of it each time.

He thought of the deals he had to sign, the contracts he had to approve and the cases he took part in. He wondered if he did the best thing when he approves or declines. He thought if other people talked behind his back when he makes his decisions. Do they agree? Do they disagree? Do they think he's delusional? Do they think he's too soft? Do they think he's crazy for not being an animal doctor? Everyone knew he loved them. He donates a fair amount to animal shelters and foundations. He visits pet shops whenever he's free, and it doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that animals loved him too. Most of the time, they look up when he enters, they stay put when they hear his voice, they sit when he tells a story. He treated animals with love and respect, like they were children to him.

The sun was setting and it was getting murky. The skies were slowly blanketed in dark purple and midnight blue. Any moment, it'd be too dark. He thought that Tokyo was like New York. It was a busy city. There were always people walking around the streets, cars driving down the roads. It was like Vegas, with shining lights and glowing marquees, and some cheap motels and loser arcades pretending to be pirate-themed hotels and million-dollar casinos. But he still loved Tokyo despite of its flaws because it's the place he grew up in, and though he's been to wonderful countrysides and amazing countries, it was his home. Sure, he liked getting away for some time, but he could never give it up.

He closed his eyes for a minute, and when he opened it again, it was too dark to see anything except the lights, signs and marquees.

**

* * *

M**ikan exasperatingly plopped down to her small suitcase. It was freezing cold and she did not move from her place the whole afternoon, except pace around and try to see through the draped windows. She didn't have a jacket on and she didn't want to take it out her suit case. She worried about the possibility of another fever, or a flu.

_Mom, where are you?_

Unexpectingly, she buried her face into her hands and closed her eyes.

**

* * *

A**oi was beyond bored. She had to do something or else she might explode. Nothing but pathetic horrors and ridiculous rom-coms were showing on television. The radio played wannabe bands and gossiped about local stars. She didn't feel like reading a magazine or a book. It was too late to go out alone. She would've invited Mikan but she thought she was probably too busy reconciling with her mother.

She closed her eyes. She was feeling bitter and all. After all, her mom had been there all her life. Easily angered but approachable. Hot-tempered but considerate. Her mother was not a bad one, Aoi had to be honest. But it was all formality with her, and she never got to talk about any of the teenage girl things with her. That was what Aoi missed. She was pampered and loved, but she remained humble and modest. But it was an absolute need for a mother that she wanted, a mother she wished who'd drop the formalities, even for just five minutes, and who discusses things with her. Sometimes she wished they should have gone bankrupt instead, so her mother would, well, drop off at home more often, easily reachable after a terrible nightmare.

The phone rang and Aoi snapped back to her senses. "Helllo? Aoi Hyuuga." Sharp breath intake. "I'm coming over."

In less than five minutes, Aoi was in a pair of jeans and a turtleneck, starting her car to the nearest hospital.

* * *

"**B**ut— she— alright?

_What's happening…?_

"I— she— rest."

_Where am I…?_

"Have— any— for—?"

_I can't understand anything…_

"Can you— her or— like that?"

_I can't even…_

"I assure—be alright."

"Mikan, — up."

_No, wait, don't touch me…_

"Should I— something?"

"You— wait. She— come back— no time."

"Mikan— Aoi. Wake— now."

_Aoi…_

"…and I promise..."

_What's happening to me?_

"…go somewhere and…"

Distantly, she heard a door close. She tried to flutter her eyelids open.

"Mikan? Mikan, can you hear me? Press my hand if you do."

"She's not in a coma."

"Go talk to the wall!"

She tried fluttering them again. Vaguely, she could make out Aoi's frowning face. She tried to look at the other side but only saw a figure of a man in a dark suit. She couldn't see his face. But she could make out white walls and a indistinguishable scent of medicine.

"I'm sorry," Aoi apologized, "Did we wake you? I'm _really _sorry, it's just my brother being a total prat."

_Ah, now I understand…_

"Can you talk?"

She thought she heard someone snorting but ignored it.

"Yes," she whispered hoarsely, and it hurt. "Why…?"

"Yes?" Aoi asked, "Why what?"

"Why am I here?" Her voice was still croaky.

"You fainted. Natsume's housekeeper saw you. Why were you there in the first place?" The younger was quite frantic. "I thought you hailed a cab!"

"I…I did."

"Then why did you end up in Natsume's house? Didn't you give the driver the address?"

"I…I did."

"So how did you get there?" She waved her hands. "Wait— don't tell me you were _ganged_! Oh no, I _knew _I should've—"

"I…Wait, housekeeper? But how…?"

"—sorry, I mean, I suck at being a hostess _and _a friend, sending you off—"

"I was…I wasn't…My mother's house…"

"—and now you're in the hospital because of— wait, your mother! Didn't you find her? Why weren't you with her? Did something—"

Mikan sadly shook her head; it was also hard to move her body, painful with each twitch of her muscle. "She…wasn't there…"

"Was it the wrong address?" Aoi's voice was suddenly soft and soothing. She sat on the edge of Mikan's bed and held her hand tightly.

She shook her head again. "It was the right one… I know it is. But she…wasn't there..." A tear escaped her eyes. She wanted to brush it away but her body still felt heavy. "I think she doesn't want me…in her life…anymore."

Aoi brushed the tear away and said warmly, "No, no, don't think like that. Maybe she was out? On a holiday or something?"

"No, I don't think so…" She heaved a sigh. "It's alright. It's not like I didn't predict this."

"Don't be silly, Mikan." Aoi said, noting the other's glum expression. "Listen, what if I help you? Natsume will conduct a search, isn't that—"

"Hey, you can't plan that!"

"Then we'll let _Ruka _plan it!" Aoi snapped at her brother.

Mikan blushed at Ruka's name. "No, I…I'm alright."

"Pssh!" Aoi exclaimed, "Tell me her address. I'll trace the number and call her up."

Mikan shook her head and her mouth remained shut.

"Come on, Mikan. I want to help you. Trust me, your mother was just probably away."

_Away for a long, long, time. _"It doesn't matter, Aoi."

"Of course it does," Aoi was solid. "This is your chance to be with your mother. You're in Tokyo, and she is, too. You just haven't crossed each other yet. Don't let it slip away."

She noticed the soft, careful tone and it made her look up. She remembered Aoi's stories and understood her needs. She yearned to feel her moter by her side, yearned for someone who would understand and hold her like she was precious.

Mikan hesitated for a moment, and eventually whispered out the address she memorized on the ride to Tokyo.

The room was eerily quiet.

"Are you sure?" Aoi asked carefully with a weird look.

Mikan nodded. "I had it memorized."

Aoi glanced at her brother, who glanced back.

Narumi, who was leaning against the wall at the far corner, approached her and said carefully, "Mikan, I don't think that's possible."

"Why?" Her reply was sharp and wary.

Narumi cleared his throat and said carefully, "For one thing, your mother can't have lived there unless she was earlier last year."

She felt a throbbing sensation. "W…What's the matter? Was it demolished? Did," she gulped, "Did something happen and the house vanished from the face of the earth?" It was a crazy thought, surreal, but possible. It was reality, after all.

"Mikan, the address you gave can't be your mother's—"

"But—"

"—because it's Natsume's."

Five seconds seemed to have passed before Mikan registered his words. "Wait, what?"

"It's his address," Narumi said once again, "He's been living there for quite a time."

"But that can't be," Mikan cried, "I had the address memorized. And— and she said she won't leave. She said so in her last letter."

Narumi took pity on the girl, who looked as if she was going to burst into tears. "When did you receive the letter?"

"I…I can't remember exactly. A few weeks after I turned seventeen, I think." She took a deep breath. "She sent me a package. I knew the nuns kept the address so I sneaked for it days before I turned eighteen."

"I— I see." Narumi's reply was quiet. He didn't know what to say and backed off.

"No, you don't…" Mikan whispered. "My mom _lives _there."

"No, Mikan, because that's _Natsume's _address," Aoi took over, "You remember, my snarky annoying brother?"

"That's not possible…That's—"

"Listen," she was cut off, "what about sleep? You're probably dizzy and stuff. When you're better, you'll remember the address."

"But I already gave you—"

"Mikan," Aoi said sternly, "Sleep. You don't want them kicking me out, right?"

"But—"

"_Close your eyes._"

"But—"

"_Good night, Mikan._"

"I—but," she sighed. She was getting tired.

Aoi reached for Mikan's face and brushed her fringes away from her eyes. She placed her hand on Mikan's dark orbs staring at her and gently let the eyelids close. "Sleep, Mikan," she murmured, "We'll handle everything tomorrow."

Mikan allowed herself to sink in a dark abyss, abandoning reality for the meantime.

**

* * *

N**atsume had a ton of paperworks to sign and one hell of a contract to draft. It was a little past midnight and he had just finished gobbling up his fourth coffee. His fingers tapped against his laptop and every now and then would exclaim _tsk _and run a hand through his hair.

His eyes lingered to the phone and he was once again tempted to give Imai a ring. He supposed she'd have something for him, about Sakura. He wondered if the girl was crazy. He remembered the conversation he had earlier with his sister.

"_She's not insane, Natsume. She's as sane as you and I."_

"_I doubt that, seeing as you're not quite normal."_

"_Hush, alright? I'm serious. Quit judging Mikan."_

"_Aoi, she jumps into your truck and in less than, what, five minutes? You act like you've been best friends since you were in diapers."_

"_It's called bonding! Girls just feel those things, alright? I mean, unlike _men_, who are pathethic in conversations, talking about nothing else except cars, girls, beers and se_—_"_

"_Right, too much TV for you, I'm removing your cable."_

"_Oh, just get a grip! Why do you hate Mikan so much anyway? She's sweet, she's kind, and please, she treats me more like a sister than you do!"_

"_I thought that's called bonding between your species?"_

"_Look, just leave anything bad about Mikan. She's not who you think she is."_

"_No, she's not who _you _think she is."_

"_Sod off, Natsume. I mean it. Mikan's not a bad person."_

"_You know that _some _of your species are Oscar-worthy actresses. She could be faking it and she's after_—_"_

"_What, dear brother? _Money_? Damn it, she's looking for her _mother_. You know, that type of person we don't recognize? Or do I need to spell it out for you?"_

"_Right, don't throw your issues at me about mother."_

"_I am _not_! All I'm implying is that you should quit judging people. We're not in some court session, Natsume. It's not like Mikan commited something wrong."_

"_You wouldn't know because the thing with you is that you trust everyone!"_

"_Hey, that's not true! Remember Ruka's last secretary? I trusted that she wouldn't last! And she didn't!"_

"_Right, I've had enough of this. Wipe that grin off your face. I'm going home. If you're staying, remember you still have school tomorrow. And you're _not_ skipping it."_

"_You skipped a lot with Ruka when you were in high school!"_

"_Yes, that's different, because I didn't know where I was going. You, in the other hand, know where you're headed off to if you fail one unit."_

Up to know, he could not figure out how he survived fifteen years with Aoi Hyuuga. He was not a graduate of the University of Tokyo if nothing. He could face law, handle the most difficult cases and frighten the court but he could not simply stand the presence of his sister when she was being difficult, bossy, smug…

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Natsume Hyuuga."

"_Mr. Hyuuga, I'm sorry," _cough, cough, "_but it seems that I have gotten the flu and_—" cough, cough, "—_I don't think I can attend to your house for_—" cough, cough,_ "the meantime."_

He sighed. "I understand, Ayano. You may take your leave until you feel better." She gave him her thanks and hung up; Natsume was left even more tired.

_Now I don't have a housekeeper. Just bloody wonderful._

**

* * *

M**ikan hummed an unfamiliar tune as she watched Dr. Imai adjust her IV and take down notes.

"So, how far am I?" she asked, "Am I going to live?"

He shook his head somberly without looking up.

Mikan laughed. She liked her doctor. He seemed aloof and exacting with his unyielding demeanor but he actually had a good sense of humour. Aoi told her, before she left for school that morning, that he was Hotaru Imai's older brother, another brilliant partner in Alice Firms, and she was also informed that if she thought, through first impressions, that Dr. Subaru Imai was scary, she'd find his sister a, quote, Spawn of Lucifer, unquote.

"So…." Mikan cleared her throat, "Since I have a _clean_ Bill of Health, that means I can, well, go, right? Right?"

It took Dr. Imai awhile before looking up at her. "No, you're not pulling that with _me_."

"But you said—" she started defensively, but was cut off.

"Yes, but if you get on your toes again, you'll fall back… again."

She crossed her arms glumly. "It was _not _intentional, if you must know."

Dr. Imai shook his head but Mikan knew he was smiling inside. "As a doctor, I still don't recommend it. And doctors' words are law."

"No, they're not," Mikan murmured, "Just most of the times."

He wondered if there was a double meaning in her optimism to get out of the hospital, and did not hesitate to ask. "I heard you're looking for your mother."

"I _was_ looking for her." She said curtly. "But you know what they say. 'You can't find someone who doesn't want to be found'."

He inquired a brow before turning back to his notes. "Don't you think you're being too harsh?"

Mikan snorted, arms still crossed, "No. If someone's being too harsh, it's her. So stubborn." She did not mean to sound bitter. Inside, it still hurt so, so much. But the abandoned girl inside of her was furious for being left behind.

"What's her name?"

"She's too old for you."

"I'm not after her," Dr. Imai chuckled, "But I might be able to help you. I'm connected to various hospitals in the city. Maybe on one occasion she was admitted, you never know."

She sighed. "It's not like you'll trace her anyway. Her name's Yuka."

"Yuka? Sakura?"

She raised a brow, "No, Yuka Smith. Of course it's Sakura, I can't have sprouted with my own name!"

"Lighten up, will you?" Dr. Imai seemed to be amused. "I think I _might _be able to help you… if, perchance, your mother is also Yuka Azumi?"

"I told you, my mother is a Saku— Wait, what?" She blinked, countless of times, looking up to the doctor's blank face. "Yuka Azumi?"

"I take it she's not?"

"No…" She ran a hand through her hair. Was this a prank? No, she didn't think so. But it sounds so impossible to her."No, that's… That's my mother's maiden name…"

**

* * *

E**veryone got a clear message when a hot-headed looking Natsume Hyuuga entered the firm that morning. His tie was haphazardly tied and his hair, which always looked perfectly messy, seemed unnatural and dishevelled. A paradox he always was indeed, but today was apparently an exception to his usal days. Narumi didn't give him his usual rundown of the schedule and instead posted at least twenty post-its on the glass walls behind him. The employee who gathered some work for him, as soon as he saw Natsume's expression, shoved the papers to Narumi and quickly walked away.

The first reason was that he barely slept a wink. That is, naturally, expected and not questionnable. The second reason was that while getting ready for work, he accidentally slipped on his shower cubicle and got a nasty hit on the head. The third was worse; he locked the house in haste and accidentally forgot to grab his keys, which were left on his table, and he had to pick his lock and was almost accused of stealing from his own house if only Narumi did not arrive in time. He was already thirty-five minutes late for work and fifteen minutes late for the first meeting of the day. During the speedy car ride that would've gotten them a ticket, Aoi had called and announced that "due to financial problems, I, Aoi Hyuuga, cannot pay for Mikan Sakura's hospital expenses, and so I demand— no, _ask_ for your _generous _donation to pay for it in my stead."

Ah, yes. His sister's message had made things a little more heated.

It was barely noon and the day was not getting any better.

_Knock. Knock._

"Come in."

"Hyuuga."

He looked up. "Imai."

Without anything else, she dropped a white folder on his desk. On the side, it was labeled _Sakura, Mikan_. He immediately grabbed it and scanned through, quickly running his eyes down until the next page. Imai remained standing. In less than a minute, he closed the folder and placed it back on the desk.

"Sit." He said, and she did so. Imai was a daunting woman but she was also polite and well-mannered. "Imai, there was _nothing _in there."

She raised a brow and crossed her legs, looking at him evenly. "Hyuuga, even if you have a photographic memory and the quickest eye, you missed the fact that there was _something_ in that file. More than _one thing_, in fact."

He waved a hand towards the files. "I already know most of it; what's her name, where's she from, how was she raised. I need _vital _information."

Imai smirked. "Do you mean if she kisses well?"

Natsume's glare became darker. "No, I meant _background_. Which includes her _mother_, who she's been searching for."

She looked at him steadily before pulling out one of the papers from the bottom and handed it to him. "Her mother, Yuka Azumi Sakura, has apparently been missing for eight months. Her last employer got worried and reported it to the police, but three months after the report, it was still false hope and so they dropped the case altogether. The last apartment she rented is downtown; it was two months before she vanished that she started living there, and when she did, she left behind few things, which is the reason why the police decided to drop it, coming to a conclusion that the woman wanted to escape. She loaned quite a hefty amount to the woman who lived across her aparment."

Natsume scanned through the paper before laying it down. "It still doesn't tell me much."

Imai's smile became wicked. "I do have something to interest you, O Great One. I did another research this morning and found out that the woman owns a bungalow in the city." Natsume did not interrupt and even looked bored, so she continued, "It wondered me why she bothered to rent an apartment if she had a house. I did another extensive one and I found out that it was a family heritage from a great aunt who passed away less than a decade ago. Would it surprise you, I ask, if I tell you that the exact house you are living in presenttime is, or was, Yuka Sakura's?"

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "And you've come to that conclusion _how_?" If there was one rule Natsume heard over and over during college, it was that he should never trust on the final conclusion alone.

"When she rented the apartment, she never sold the house, and when she vanished and did not show up, the police handed the house to an agency and they decided to sell it. All proceeds would of course go to Mrs. Sakura if she returns. The house was sold eleven months ago, which, I take, is around the time _you _bought the house."

He thought hard and remembered the lady who sold him the house. She had said that she did not own it. If Imai was right— and he couldn't even remember when the woman was even wrong—, the house wouldn't be his even if he emptied his wallet for it.

It was, by far, the most vexing message he had received that morning. And he'd like to know why he kept getting murder-worthy messages.

Imai looked even more depraved. "If papers are handled properly, everyone would realize that the house is rightfully Mikan Sakura's, but technicalities matter and you paid for it, so it is also yours. I suppose this puts you in quite a strain, doesn't it, Hyuuga?"

_**

* * *

Author's Note: **__I finished this and other fanfic chapters around 5 AM last Halloween morning, but when I transferred it to my laptop, my new anti-virus deleted it, along with all my Fanfiction files and everything else I have. So now, I have nothing. I'm starting from scratch. I'm sorry that it might take me a little more time, and I'm doing my very best._

_And alright, I'm not sure of the house ownership thing, I might even be inventing things on the spot._


	4. Dare You to Move

_**Chapter IV: Dare You to Move**_

_Everybody's watching you now;_

_Everybody waits for you now;_

_What happens next?_

_What happens next?_

_(Switchfoot)_

* * *

**N**atsume had searched his documents and asked Narumi to even gather more than what he already had. But when the facts were straight, he came to the same conclusion as his colleague did a couple of days ago. The house, though paid, is not for him alone. If it became an even bigger matter, he would have to face and speak for himself in court for the rightful ownership. He tried to play the session in his mind and he figured that the kid might not even know half of the things they were talking about. He silently and selfishly prayed that if she ever finds out, she'd give up the case and let him have the house. But of course, that was self-centered and he couldn't even imagine why he thought of it in the first place.

He glanced at the clock sitting on his desk. Tokyo was fairly busy once more, and so was the firm. He grabbed his suitcase and headed out for the door. He would come back to the matter of his occupancy later after he meets with Yura Hatsuni.

* * *

"**N**atsume?" Ruka called after him, his head poking from his office door. "Where are you going?" He frowned.

Natsume held up a briefcase. "I'm going to meet with my client."

"Still that deranged woman?" Imai spat as she bounded out of the elevator, hearing their conversation.

"She is a client." Natsume said firmly. "And speaking against her isn't proper. You should know that well, Imai."

"She isn't my client to begin with," she said as steadily.

Ruka had walked out of his office with a five-inch thick of folders. "I'm coming with you downstairs. I have to hand these to Otonashi."

"When are you getting yourself a goddamn assistant?" Natsume shook his head and grabbed half of Ruka's load. "You can't live like this forever."

"Until I find myself an assistant who isn't due at the start of the year," Ruka grumbled. He turned to Imai. "And how's the matter with Hijiri?"

"In current action," she said, flashing him a plain folder with _Case No. 021439: Youichi Hijiri_ labeled on the side. "If you are in need of my honest and whole opinion, the sitter is as delusional as Hatsuni."

"Knock if off, Imai," Ruka said sternly, and Imai shrugged subtly with a stony face still intact. "We'll talk about it later."

"I'm going, Ruka." Natsume said, walking off and Ruka hurried after him while Hotaru walked to the other side.

* * *

**A**oi tapped her pen against her desk and hummed. It was barely lunch period but she wanted to get out already. She badly wanted to see Mikan. She got to talk to her the day before and it was evident that Mikan could barely control herself on the phone. She was crying and laughing at the same time, Aoi wondered if she was sane, and Dr. Imai had assured Mikan was fine. Mikan, however, didn't want to say anything through the phone and Aoi had to wait until classes ended before she knows of the big news.

A selfish side of Aoi wished that Mikan would stay with her forever. She badly wanted a sister, and Mikan was the perfect image of one. Natsume was a wonderful brother to her and he often spoiled her, but with the lack of mother, Aoi didn't have someone to talk to on teenage things that only a female-to-female tête-à-tête can settle and satisfy.

It was like an age gap didn't exist between them. Aoi and Mikan simply 'clicked', which Natsume found incredulous.

The teacher in front had jotted down example number five, and Aoi went back to her work, eager for the day to end and finally meet with Mikan.

**H**otaru thanked the person at the other end of the line and hung up. She had just given the police department a ring and the latest news they had was when they found a small packet of marijuana stacked under the pillow where the sitter was found lying and a tray of brownies lightly dashed with narcotics. Bottles and bottles of beer were stashed in the kitchen refrigerator, and Hotaru swore she had once heard that the Hijiris hated beer and gin. The sitter was still caught in a stupor and could barely talk. Patience has never been a virtue of Hotaru Imai's, though she is quite good in masking that it is, and the time the blasted sitter was wasting was worth more than twenty Kuwait dinars.

Anna poked her head in the office after three knocks. "Ms. Imai? I just want to remind you of your eleven-thirty meeting at the briefing room."

Rubbing her temples, Hotaru placed back young Youichi's file. It didn't help that the kid didn't even talk. He was of course capable of saying a ton of words, but so far, he only opened his mouth to inform them that he needs to go potty.

"Ms. Imai? " Anna frowned, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "Would you like an aspirin?" Without waiting for a reply, she rummaged through the small counter on the left corner of the room. She pulled open a drawer and fumbled for a tablet. She finally did and grabbed a water bottle from the cooler.

"Thank you," Hotaru muttered, swallowing the aspirin and gulping half of the water.

Anna nodded understandingly. "Tough morning?"

"Unimaginable," Hotaru muttered.

"Must be, if even you are troubled."

She snuck a glance at her secretary and was quite surprised to see a small smile. She had grown quite fond of the girl ever since she started working. She persevered, neat, fast and did things on the dot. An addition was that she has magical hands in cooking and often gave Hotaru treats. "I'm not invulnerable, Anna. Unlike your known inkling, the person you're talking to right now is not an invincible super woman."

"You're just stressing yourself too much." Anna said simply. "I can't remember the last time you filed for a leave. You work like there's no tomorrow, it's a wonder you survive the mornings. As you are very much aware, even Mr. Hyuuga shows signs of weakness and exhaustion every now and then, and he's a terrible slave driver most of the time."

Hotaru didn't reply. She considered the proposal, but eventually shook her head, and as Anna looked at her, she wondered how three twenty-four year olds could handle a big law firm and give up their adulthood. She was twenty-three and fresh out of college and sometimes, she wondered if she should get a year off. She had applied for the secretarial position as soon as she saw the print ad, and Anna was a naïve freshman in the society. A little fun every now and then wouldn't hurt, she decided, and a trip around Europe, take part in a culinary program in Paris or simply stroll around Greece were tempting plans.

"Don't you have a dream, Ms. Imai?" Anna asked gently. Hotaru knew her secretary was not being tactless or was even mocking her. "Don't you have something you've always wanted to do since you were a kid?" Hotaru simply stared at the view behind her, and Anna took out a folder from the bundle she held. "I'll have the meeting postponed for twenty minutes."

When Anna left the room, Hotaru leaned back and lightened up, thinking back to her dreams as a young child in the big city of Tokyo.

* * *

**I**nstead of their usual meeting in a secluded coffee shop, Natsume was walking down the streets of the busy city, searching for his ADHD client. She could barely stay put when waiting and so Natsume always made it a point to be ahead of her every single time they meet, but the current issue was turned upside down when she arrived thirty minutes early in the coffee shop. She sent him a message telling him to meet her at the nearby bookstore, but when Natsume reached it by foot; she sent another message saying she was in a thrift store a few blocks from the bookstore. She sent him on a wild goose chase around Tokyo and Natsume was greatly annoyed. He had entered a total of six clothing line branches, passed by at least fifteen food carts, peeked in a couple of hotels and restaurants and strolled by a couple of parks. He left the car and he didn't want to wait for it; his client was starting to annoy him. He even embarrassingly walked by a lingerie shop. After that, he sent her a message saying that he was a fairly busy man and he had just spent a whole hour walking around with her divorce paperwork and if she refused to stay put for a forsaken five minutes, he would double the fees.

_I'm in Ai Ringu Shoppu_, she had said through the message, and Natsume was immediately baffled. Why was she in an engagement ring store in the first place? The divorce wasn't even final yet and she was already looking for another ring with a different man?

He shrugged it aside and figured he would find out in two minutes.

* * *

"**W**hat are you doing here?" was Natsume's first question when he caught sight of his client talking with an employer. "You're not choosing a ring already, are you?"

"I'm not," Yura said and pointed at a woman behind the counter who looked like Yura's own mother. "This is Ms. Koizumi. She owns the store."

Natsume nodded at her politely and he glanced back at Yura. "Do you have any further business here? I think I've been through enough shops to conduct your wedding. I need to get going soon."

"Oh, this will be quick," Yura promised and showed him a red velvet box. "I'm returning the ring from my last husband."

Natsume blinked but quickly gathered his composure. "You're returning _what_? You can't do that. Not yet."

"We both know the divorce will be done as soon as you finish handling the papers," she glared meaningfully. "There's no use keeping this ring. If Ms. Koizumi here won't accept a pawn, I'll have it exchanged with another."

"But you're not getting married." Natsume pointed out. "Not for a short while."

Yura was quiet for a minute and she simply stared at Natsume. "Honey, why don't you go and sit there for a while?" She pointed at a cushioned sofa at the middle of the shop. "We'll discuss the important matters later."

"I really don't have enough time." He glanced at his watch. "I need to go in forty minutes."

"Something is more important than _my _matters?"

"Yes, apparently," Natsume grumbled, "And you'd better settle it all with Ms. Koizumi right now or you won't be seeing me until after three days."

Mikan immediately jolted out of bed.

She held her forehead. She was sweating hard. She had just a dream, and it was so odd. It was unreal but she wanted it so much to be real. She gobbled the water on the bedside. Beside it, she barely noticed the bouquet of fresh flowers, with a small card. When she had put down the glass, she was surprised to see the bundle of pale pink carnations and blood red roses.

"Pretty," Mikan muttered, reaching out for one of the flowers. She flicked for the card and scanned down to the signature before reading the message, but it was so short. The whole message only said, _Get Well Soon, Miki_.

_Wait a second…_

The door opened and Dr. Imai smiled at her. "How are you holding up?"

"Has anybody been here to visit me?" she asked, disregarding his greeting.

Frowning, Dr. Imai glanced down at her records. "I don't think so. I've been hanging around on the desk this morning and no one has asked for you. Is there a problem?"

Mikan bit her lip. There was no doubt about it. "I think my mother came to see me."

Dr. Imai shook his head. "I haven't seen her all morning, Mikan."

"But— I got this bouquet, and it has my pet name, and no one but my mom calls me by my pet name aside from my dad, and my dad's been dead for quite a while and— and— and— I don't know what to think anymore."

Mikan's eyes filled with tears but she didn't cry. She was staring intently at Dr. Imai's eyes, and he wondered for a quick second if she really was eighteen. She looked older but he quietly thought that she was still the young kid her mother left years ago.

* * *

**T**he headline caused a wildfire on the evening news.

"_There had been recent news that renowned lawyer of Alice Law Firms and heir to the Hyuuga Corp. Atty. Natsume Hyuuga is possibly engaged with his recent twenty-five-year-old client, Mrs. Yura Takaheshi who insists on being addressed as Ms. Yura Hatsuni as the divorce settlement papers, handled by Mr. Hyuuga, is on its way to briefing._

_This report is supported by a handful of people who have seen Atty. Hyuuga enter clothing lines, bakeries and other female stores. He was last seen in a coffee shop with Ms. Hatsuni near their previous stop, Ai Ringu Shoppu, an engagement ring store handled by Ms. Luna Koizumi. _

_When interviewed on her thoughts on why the lawyer and his client went, she had said: "Ms. Hatsuni was selling her wedding band from Mr. Takeheshi and Atty. Hyuuga later arrived. She had commented if the attorney had more important matters than her and asked him to wait. I had suspected that they're having an affair."_

_Atty. Ruka Nogi, president of Alice Law Firms, expressed his opinion when approached this afternoon. "It's disgraceful, where do you get these kinds of news? A lawyer seeing his client is prohibited and scandalous. I've known Atty. Hyuuga for a long time and I doubt he's going out with Ms. Hatsuni. Their relationship is purely and innocently lawyer and client."_

_When asked for an insider's opinion, the scoop had shared was, "It does change the fact that Atty. Nogi is Atty. Hyuuga's best friend. I have often thought that Atty. Hyuuga was paying extra close attention to Ms. Hatsuni. This probably answers my question."_

_Ms. Hatsuni had filed for a divorce against business tycoon Mr. Sora Takaheshi due to private matters. And now, back to—"_

Natsume grabbed the remote and turned the television off. From the kitchen, Narumi tossed him a can of soda. "Your meeting with your client caused quite a chaos, didn't it?"

Natsume was able to down all of the liquid and he crushed the can with his bare hands. "Bloody media."

"You can't deny it, Natsume," Narumi had an amused smile on his face. "Their evidences are quite hilarious but are seemingly true. You went in a bakeshop, a female clothing line, perfume and a lingerie shop. You went in an engagement ring store and the owner attested to it. It's not a jigsaw puzzle."

"You, like the rest of the bloody mass media in Tokyo, jumped into conclusions," he grumbled. "I am _not_, I repeat, am _not _having an affair, secret or public, with Yura Hatsuni."

"Oh, I believe you," Narumi said, assuring, "It's the rest of the country you have to prove wrong."

"Are you _sick_?" Aoi screamed on her phone, "We barely have movie marathons like brother and sister, and it turns out you were dating your crazy client?"

"_She isn't crazy, Aoi," _Natsume replied on the other end, _"And I am having nothing with Hatsuni."_

"Oh, right, fool me, Natsume." She sneered. "Why the hell did you go to the ring shop with her, then? Or a lingerie shop? Unless you're going gay on me, I wouldn't really believe you."

"_I am not going gay and I am having an affair with no one." _Natsume was firm and stubborn as his sister. _"Go back to your patient and we'll talk later. I have to go to a press conference tomorrow to clear this junk. The firm has earned a bad reputation in a span of five minutes about lawyers hitting it off with their clients."_

"Gee," Aoi said sarcastically, "I wonder why?"

"_I'll see you later_." Mikan could practically hear him gritting his teeth. Aoi hung up and shoved her phone inside her bag, muttering incoherent yet obviously deadly words directed to her brother.

"I take it the news were…?"

"Fake," Aoi confirmed. "Should've known, anyway. I've heard Hatsuni has ADD or something. She can't stay put. She probably let my brother loose around Tokyo. The woman, she's off her rocker."

"Have you met her?" Mikan asked, suddenly interested at the woman. She had never known someone with ADD, and though she, herself, has a short attention span, she was not really diagnosed with such disorder.

Aoi rolled her eyes, obviously in pure annoyance. "More than once. The blasted woman interrupted countless of our Saturday nights. Anyway, what did you want to tell me, Mikan? About your mom?"

"What? Oh. _Oh_. Oh!"

Aoi smiled as Mikan's face contorted in various different expressions. "So? What'd you find out?"

* * *

**H**otaru was drinking a hot cup of coffee when Anna, Ruka, Narumi and a handful of other colleagues had sent her a message. _Turn on to the evening news_ was what every message closely said. She was planning for a night of solitude and relaxation, steered away from the way of any modern man-made technology that would distract her moment of peace.

She did, anyway, and she didn't regret it.

The screen showed low quality snapshots of her partner coming out of a lingerie shop and later from a ring shop with his client totting behind with a big smile. The fact that there was a picture where they looked like they were having a quite heated conversation and something with a smiling Hatsuni did not help. Anyone could immediately conclude millions out of it. A picture, after all, was worth a thousand words, and Hyuuga had more than one picture.

She doubt if she had laughed harder than that ever in her life.

* * *

"**H**ello?" Natsume grumbled when he picked up the phone. As he was a notorious attorney, his contact number was not a secret. Being an heir to her mother's family business only made the problem reach extensive branches.

"_Natsume!_" Immediately, he recognized the playful tone of his assistant. "_It's Narumi."_

"Perfectly aware," he gritted. "Bye."

"_Wait, no, sir!"_

He rolled his eyes and restrained himself from slamming the phone hard. He was not in the mood for his secretary— or anyone or anything at all, for that matter. "What is it, Narumi? You know as well that this isn't a perfect time for me to chitchat with you."

As blunt as he could, Narumi sprouted, "I have an answer to your problems."

"_Which _problem?" He challenged.

"_All, if you agree."_

As blank he may be, Natsume was desperate for solutions. "Two minutes."

"_You might not like it,"_ Narumi warned in advance, "_But it sounds perfect. I've been doing research for you lately and I've come across interesting… stories_."

"Is this something I'm supposed to know?" Natsume sighed exasperatedly. Narumi was not known for being frank.

"_Right. To the point. One minute and forty-five seconds. Mr. Hyuuga, if I tell you that there's a possibility for you to continue living in your bungalow without the Hatsuni rumors going around, are you willing to accept it?"_

Natsume weighed it carefully. Narumi's plans always had that tiny twitch. "Thirty seconds."

"_Mr. Hyuuga_," Narumi cleared his throat, "_if you, consequently, agree to marry young Mikan, you will not only partially own the house and avoid a lawsuit even for the shortest of times, you will also manage to send the Hatsuni rumors away."_

There was a short pause befor Natsume breathed, "…Thank you for wasting my time, Narumi. I hope someone gets rid of you soon."

"_Wait," _Narumi said, suddenly sounding hurried. "_Don't you trust me, sir?"_

"Narumi, if you think I'm going to marry a teenager, then you're out of your mind."

* * *

**R**uka was grabbing his phones, clicking his mouse, typing last minute emails and writing down notes and notices as early as eight o'clock in the morning. It was a fairly busy day and apparently, the rumors that sprouted the night before had become an even bigger these days. People were ringing him and reporters were asking for entrance on the press conference Natsume would later give to save the firm's reputation. He just hoped that had done what he had promised him the night before…

"_Natsume?"_

"_Ruka, have you glanced at the time? It's almost midnight. _Midnight_, Ruka, which is closely related to morning, and thus informs one that it's time to sleep."_

"_Believe me, I want that, too. But I need to ask you as soon as I could. What are you going to do with Ms. Hatsuni?"_

"_I've told you hours before, Ruka. I've had it covered with the press conference tomorrow. Aren't you the one planning for the press coverage? How could you not know?"_

"_I am, and I do. But you know the press, Natsume. They're crazy people. Do you honestly think a heart-to-heart conversation will change their views?"_

"_Heart-to-heart? Ruka, the conference tomorrow will be anything _but _heart-to-heart."_

"_Exactly what I'm telling you. Sure, they'll listen but they're going to twist your words around, Natsume. If you tell them, say, 'I'm not getting married anytime soon', they'll rephrase that as 'I'm not going to get married yet', and people will assume you mean it with your client. You know them, Natsume. Dealing with them and the rumors they spark is no easy feat."_

"…_I've had it all worked out."_

"_Great! Do you think it'll work?"_

"_It was a suggested idea."_

"_And you considered it?"_

"_I'm a desperate man, Ruka."_

"_You should be. Wait a sec. Did you just say it was a suggested idea?"_

"_I believe I did."_

"_Then it's bound to be wrong and become a disaster in so many ways, won't it?"_

"_I was running out of choices and it solves two problems. I'm not that kind of man but hopefully, I'll be able to swing her around."_

"_Two problems? And what kind of man? And who's her? Who even suggested it?"_

"_I'll see you tomorrow, Ruka."_

"_But—" BEEP._

His partner had hung up on him. His best friend had hung up on him. He had hung up on him, and Ruka had no clue what he was planning to save his sorry butt from the manipulative and immoral press.

A knock from the door was all he needed, and amidst the three phones he held, his left hand typing on his laptop and the right one scribbling notes, Ruka said, "Come in."

The door burst open and Natsume entered the room and sat on the cushioned chair in front of the desk.

"What on earth caused you this stupidity?"

"_Excuse me?_" A rather offended voice from one of the phones retorted.

"Not you, sir," Ruka immediately apologized. "I'll drop a line later regarding your deal with the bank." He hung up that and spoke to the other. "Yes, ma'm, I'll have it ready by next week. I'll have the files faxed at eight in the morning. No? A special delivery? We don't really… Why, yes, I'll do everything I can, ma'm. I'll bring it myself if I have to. Yes, ma'm. Soon. Alice Law Firms is honored to help you." He put down the handheld and adjusted his earpiece. "Yes? No, Natsume Hyuuga will not be available until the press conference. Which broadsheet are you coming from, again? You're a tabloid reporter? I hope you'll do a good job with the interview, no wrong rephrasing. Tell that to your editor and that I'll have you sued if something is stated wrong, and I can twist the firm out of any trouble. No, this is not a threat, just a friendly warning. Yes. Glad we sorted that out."

He pressed a button on the machine in front of him, but he didn't stop until he was able to type three emails and written three drafts before faxing it to the financial office— something he had only realized recently that helped save him time and the hassle of travelling around the building.

"So, Natsume, off to the _official _business." Ruka frowned. "To Hades with this. What the hell are you going to do, Natsume? The press conference is in five hours. You have less than four hours to hypnotize the public."

"That's exactly what I want to talk to you about."

"Natsume, don't tell me you really have nothing to do?"

Natsume rolled his eyes. "Quit being nervous, Ruka, you're not the one getting hitched with Hatsuni."

Ruka obviously paled. "So you really are—?"

"No, I'm not. But I need to talk to you," Natsume hurried before Ruka could say anything else. "Because if you don't think this goes well, then I can assure you a bad name for the firm in less than an hour after the conference."

"Alright, then. Let the cat out of the bag. What was shoved on your head?"

* * *

**M**ikan's eyebrows rose when Aoi was already packing some of Mikan's things. "Aoi, I know you're excited and all, but I'm not going to be out until another series of examination. One hour, at the very least."

"_Exactly_," Aoi said, not looking up. "We have to hurry. I need to get to my _stupid _brother before his press conference." Aoi bit her lip. "I'm sorry I sound awfully selfish. I understand you want to look for your mom as soon as possible, now that you have an idea she really is in the city."

Mikan gave Aoi a small smile before the nurse helped her up. "Don't worry. Mom can wait for another day. I can't be up on my feet so soon anyway. Besides, maybe I'll have the camera flash a bit on me, and mom would see me."

It was when the nurse had gotten the patient out of the room when Aoi noticed the flowers more clearly. She had only spared it a quick glance and a dreamy sniff last night and never took another at the card. She did, and it was signed with nothing. The writing was in print and could easily be mistaken by anyone else's. She flipped the card over. _Misaki Floristry_.

It was one step closer.

She reached for her phone and dialed three numbers. "Hello, operator? Yes, may I have _Misaki Floristry_'s contact details and..."

* * *

**W**hen Natsume was done, all Ruka could do was stare at him blankly.

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "Ruka, I was expecting you'd _say _something."

Ruka shook his head, his face not betraying him of any emotion. "What do you expect me to say, Natsume? I'm rendered speechless. That has got to be the _shittiest _plan I've ever heard in my life."

"But…?" Natsume prodded, knowing his friend.

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't even know what. I can't think of any comment." He opened his eyes. "Wait, I can actually say something. If you do this, Natsume, you're going to be a big bastard."

"I already am," Natsume said dryly, "I've been called as such, more and worst. I don't see it getting any worse."

"You're going to break the poor girl."

It was what Natsume feared. "I'll try not to."

"Then what are you going to say, Natsume? If you tell her, she'll be hurt. If you don't and she finds out— and believe me, she will— she'll be even more. She's no kid. She has a brain and she's pretty smart."

"I'm not saying she doesn't have a brain, I'm just saying that she can handle it."

"What? What makes you think she can handle it? You've seen the cases we've had. Lawsuits against teenage boys for going too far with their girlfriends. You're name's going to end up in history if she sues you, man."

"She's not going to sue me," Natsume said calmly, "Because she won't think of anything more than that."

"More than what?" Ruka challenged. "Someone using her for his own good? If things become disastrous, she'll end up in a ward wrapped in a jacket with no arm holes."

"It's not going to be disastrous. Why are you awfully negative about this?"

"Because your way out has a meteor-sized black hole, that's why."

"I'll handle this well, Ruka. As much as I hate thinking that I might get stuck in this firm until the day I die, I honor my father."

Ruka just shook his head. "Yes, Natsume. You honor your father. Can you honor Mikan Sakura, too?"

* * *

**A**lice Law Firms' third floor completely inhabited by probably the whole media of the country, it almost drove Natsume insane. Was there nothing else happening in the world? Wasn't there a bombing a couple days ago somewhere in a factory? Didn't a famous politician died because of a heart attack? Why were these people bothering with his life— his life that he's been trying so hard to remain clammed up in a shell, but failed, all because of an idiotic misconception.

Rows of television cameras were trained on him with photographers and journalists crowded behind. Natsume sat at the middle of the table of the fairly large conference room they had specifically reserved for situations similar to this. Unlike their offices, it was more closed with draped windows and the best air conditioning.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press," Ruka's voice blared through the microphone. Snaps. Clicks. "I am delighted to welcome all of you this afternoon."

Natsume had to resist a snort escaping him. Ruka was not delighted to welcome the press. He hated them and avoided them like the plague. The press conference was the highlight for the day, and at the back near the doors, he caught notice of his sister and her new friend.

"…Atty. Natsume Hyuuga, senior partner of Alice Law Firms."

It was his cue. He stood up, bowed gallantly like a true gentleman, and sat down. After he declared that he would be answering questions, the press went haywire.

"Are the rumors true?" A ruddy-cheeked reporter piped from the front row.

"I expected better from _Tokyo Times _than to listen to rumors." Natsume countered wryly.

The reporter had gone red in the face and so another took over. "Is it a fact that you and Ms. Hatsuni are engaged?"

Natsume dully held up his left hand, palm facing him, and showed it to the crowd. "Do you see any band on my finger? Have you seen any on Ms. Hatsuni's, aside from her husband's?" He drew his hand back. "The answer is _no_. I am not engaged with Ms. Hatsuni. I am not having an affair with my client. It is an insult to me, these rumors, to the nirvana I possess, my penchants and my priorities."

"And what is your priority right now?" The comment had come from a blonde young man he recognized from the television.

Natsume took a deep breath. It was _the _question. He and Ruka exchanged glances. Narumi, who was beside him, gave Natsume two thumbs up. Near the doors, still unmoving, were the two girls. There was no turning back. It was the firm's standing that was on line, if he wasn't worried for his. He opened his mouth, finding no escape anymore, and stated carefully, "My job is important to me, but reconciling with my fiancée is the most important thing for me right now."

"Yes, that sounds quite promising," the blonde man had said with a goofy smile, but it broke and his eyes widened. "Did you just say _fiancée_?"

Natsume cleared his throat. From the right corners of his eye, he could make out Ruka knocking his head against the wall. "Yes. The evening news the night before had set us on quite a bumpy path. She is extremely disappointed and I couldn't agree more. The news shocked us both." It was partially true. When he had called Aoi again, she said that it "_surprised the both of us, you creep!"_

"But…" the reporter frowned, and cameras continued to click. Video cameras kept on rolling. "You're engaged but not to Ms. Hatsuni?"

"I would never look at a client more than as an acquaintance." Natsume said loyally and firmly.

"Then, who are you engaged with?" prodded a glass-eyed reporter beside the blonde. He noticed him as the guy who had reported the news about him and Hatsuni. "Is she a known personality? Is she a lawyer in the same firm?"

"I would not be revealing any information on her, where she works or what her name is. Her privacy matters and her life do as well, until we're married. _If _we still do after this ruckus you have caused."

"What about a description?" A haughty-looking man demanded. "We could guess."

"I doubt you know her." Natsume said loftily. "She is a sweet young girl, fresh from high school, barely in college. She has pretty eyes and a wonderful smile. The cameras will enjoy her presence."

"Sounds quite a charmer," the blonde reporter had taken over once again.

From across the room, Natsume saw them. Aoi was glaring at him darkly, as if mentally asking, "_Do you mean what I think you mean?" _He could only sigh and let his eyes land on the confused looking girl. She caught him looking and gave him a small smile, like a lifter, and it was just what he needed.

"Yes," he said absentmindedly, "She is."

* * *

"**N**o, Natsume." Aoi stomped her foot. "Absolutely not."

"Your approval is not required." Natsume rolled his eyes.

They were clustered inside Natsume's bungalow home: him, Aoi, Narumi, Ruka and Mikan. Narumi was in the kitchen like it was his own home, making them drinks. Ruka was sitting on a couch before the fire place, his eyes staring deeply at the unlit charcoals. Mikan had gone to change and Aoi had said that "_due to your health, you shall, uh, stay here with Natsume"._

"This is _my _friend we are talking about!"

"When did being friends become a possession?"

"Natsume!" Aoi groaned. "You can't honestly _think _of doing this, are you? You can't ruin her life like that."

"How can I be ruining her life?" Natsume retorted. "I'm going to compromise with her. It's just for a short while. It's not going to hurt her."

"But I've read these stories! That when the boy needs to marry the girl even though he doesn't love her, and then things go wrong and the girl's heart is left broken and gets smashed into smithereens!"

"This is _not _going to be one of those stories because in the first place, we are not in one. And I'm not exactly asking her to marry me, just to be my pretend fiancée until the rumors die down."

"The rumors die quick, why don't you deal with it yourself like a man?"

"He can't, Aoi," Ruka said monotonously from in front. "If he doesn't show up a proof that he has a fiancée soon, everyone will think that lawyers in Alice Law Firms are two-faced twits."

"That's because of the image my _dear brother _put up!"

"I'm not happy with this anymore than you are," Natsume snapped, "If I had my way, I wish I wouldn't have done or even agreed to it. But I have to, because I need to."

"Then why choose Mikan?" Aoi moaned desperately. She couldn't get her brother's logic. "Take Anna! She's immune to you and your stupid ways. Plus, you can raise her salary. Choose Anna, Natsume, or I'll never speak to you again."

"I can't choose Anna because she doesn't own the house." Natsume gritted.

"But Mikan doesn't own the house either!"

"She does."

"What? No!"

"Yes, Aoi, she does. And if she finds out and wants it back, I'm not going to give this up after just a year."

"God, Natsume, you are _selfish_!"

"I'm being honest. I do not want a file against me because I bought a house that had an owner in the first place. Mikan has the rights to this house as do I, but I don't think…" His eyes travelled to the door, where Mikan stood, dumbstruck.

"I _what_?"

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__November was busy because of National Novel Writing Month. It's unfortunate that I wasn't able to reach 50,000 words, but I decided that it might be the first non-fan fiction novel I would write._

_And because today is Natsume Hyuuga's birthday. :) _

_Although I do not think it's the best chapter around. :( It's a tad rushed and done haphazardly._

_Keep the reviews coming, dears. :) A little gift for hot-stud Natsume Hyuuga, don't you think? ;)_


	5. Can You Keep a Secret

_**Chapter V: Can You Keep a Secret?**_

_Your secret's safe_

_And no one has to know_

_I'm your getaway_

_And a little bit more than you can take_

_(The Cab)_

**

* * *

M**ikan couldn't believer her ears. Were these people playing tricky games on her? She hoped not. She had only known them for two, three days but she had thought they were good people, and Aoi was her friend. Aoi took care of her and paid for her bills and treated her like she would a sick sibling. Why would Aoi lie to her? That was just so absurd. Aoi can't. Aoi _wouldn't_. But that would mean that the things they said were true. That would mean that Yuka lived in that house and she wasn't crazy, and it wasn't demolished or burnt down. That would mean her mother is still alive... or wasn't she?

"Is she still alive?" Mikan suddenly blurted out. Four pairs of eyes landed on her. It was late night and Narumi had ordered take-outs.

No one asked who; they all knew who it was, exactly. Narumi cleared his throat. "We'd say yes, but we can't keep our hopes up, Mikan. Your mother hasn't been seen for quite a while. For starters, we don't even know what she looks like. I asked Dr. Imai for information and he's still talking to the Director about divulging confidential information."

"She looks like me," Mikan breathed. "Brown hair, brown eyes. I don't know about the height."

"Do you have any pictures?" Ruka asked gently.

Immediately, Mikan's eyes began to water. "I used to," she replied quietly. "I almost drowned when I was eleven. Jun and I were playing near the river and the wind took up and my picture flew from my hand. I tried to catch it but the river dragged it down. I reached for it and fell on the waters. I know I said she has brown hair and brown eyes but I vaguely remember what she really looks like." Tears formed in her eyes and Aoi went to hug her. "Sometimes, I look in the mirror and imagine an older version of myself and figured maybe that's what she exactly looks like."

Narumi was almost tearful as Mikan. "You poor girl," he cooed, "Not to worry. The firm will help you."

"You can't plan things for the firm," Natsume frowned.

"Oh, I can change your schedule tomorrow, maybe tweak a couple of meetings and shorten the conference. I might do a little for Ruka as well."

"_Mr. _Hyuuga and _Mr_. Nogi, Narumi."

"I don't mind," Ruka perked, cutting Natsume's further words. "And I'll be glad to help you."

"No, it's alright," Mikan blushed. "The firm has more things to worry about than someone's mom."

"The firm extends services to various members of the society," Ruka said loyally, "Which includes five-year-olds under obstruction of justice and missing persons abandoned by the police."

"Obstruction of justice?" Natsume suddenly asked, and the talk was immediately led back to work and law. "I thought Hijiri was clean!"

"The kid apparently saw a lot. Nicotine all over his parents' house, his sitter drugged and molested and a dead body in his own room? It's a surprise if he wasn't affected the least bit."

"But he's _five_," Aoi said, as if it put an end to their discussion. "How can a five-year-old be accused? And besides, doesn't he have the right to remain silent?"

"He _used _to, until he decided to talk. He apparently gave wrong testaments and now he's convicted of obstruction of justice."

"A subpoena was supposed to be in order, right?" Aoi frowned. She had been with her brother and his friends to be familiar with some of the terms in the young age of eleven. At present, she enjoyed butting in during her brother's talks about work, and he often lets her join the conferences, meetings and briefings.

"There was, and like I said, the kid talked. Judge Makihara took his words for facts because he was a kid, and you know the man. He believes kids don't lie. He's wronged this time."

"What's Imai's take on the case?" Natsume asked. When their other senior partner vowed that she will never again take a case of the PI branch, Natsume thought she would carve it on metal.

Ruka shrugged. "She was leafing through the laws last I checked on it. She asked a couple of professional investigators and they're currently working on thumb prints and DNAs. The party was concluded to be wild but no one's coming up to the firm or the police to share information."

"He'll be under something like the Witness Protection Program, won't he?" Aoi asked curiously.

Natsume shook his head. "You read too much novels. It's a minor murder case compared to the others. The US FBI will consider this a one-man job. It's another city murder compared to the big ones they do."

"But it's under commercial sexual exploitation of children!" Aoi argued, "Child pornography, evidently."

"Where is child pornography?" Natsume asked, completely bemused.

"Sherlock, you just mentioned about a drugged and molested sitter. Obviously, the poor child's threatened to keep his little mouth shut or he dies. It's bound to scare any young soul away."

"Alright then," Natsume challenged his sister, "What, daresay, do you put this under child pornography?"

"I don't know alright?" Aoi crossed her arms. "I wasn't at the party. File it under striptease or something, because it's illegal."

Natsume regarded this bitterly. "It may be, but that doesn't stop people to make X-rated videos."

"What can you do?" Aoi shrugged nonchalantly. "It's their way of living. Everyone has to live somehow. Prostitutes. Geishas."

"Geishas aren't prostitutes," Mikan suddenly found her voice. All the law talk was making her bored and dim-witted compared to their knowledge. "It's a misconception. Liza Dalby became the first American geisha for her PhD thesis and she proved that they're not about serving sexual needs of men."

"Sexual needs," Natsume scoffed quoting her latter words. "You make it sound like every man needs to get laid by women aside from their wife before marriage."

Mikan was suddenly irked at his words. "Why, haven't you?" Suddenly realizing her words, Mikan blushed and bowed her heads while the rest permitted themselves hearty chuckles. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I didn't mean that."

Natsume still looked sour and goaded, and Aoi laughed even more. "Don't mind him, Mikan," she grinned wickedly, "He's tart because it's true."

"How did a talk from her mother, to obstruction of justice and to child pornography became a talk about my personal affairs?" Natsume muttered.

Narumi perked, "It's your lack of personal affairs attracting attention, apparently. And believe me, Mr. Hyuuga, I know." He smiled cheekily and Ruka shook his head.

"Alright, back to official business," Natsume grumbled. His private life prefers to be private, thank you very much. "About the firm helping, I concur."

"And about the marrying part?" Aoi asked loftily, arms crossed. "I refuse."

"I'm not going to be engaged with _you_, thankfully."

"Yes, but like I said, this is my friend we are talking about. I've never had a proper friend before and now, you're snatching her off because you think that every damn thing goes your way!"

"Aoi, it's called make believe. It's middle-school drama class."

"Mikan is eighteen years old, for Pete's sake! She hasn't been in college and just look at her! She's too young to be married to someone who's good enough to be her senior!"

Narumi decided to defend his idea, as it was him who proposed it in the first place. "Aoi, age isn't really a factor. Love happens naturally to two people who are attracted to each other."

"The point is, Narumi, they are _not _lovers. They are not held by a magnetic attraction. They barely know each other; they despise each other's guts. Mikan punched Natsume on the nose the first time she crossed paths with him, do you think that's something she would easily forget?"

"I try to," Mikan mumbled, head still bowed, "I'm sorry about his nose."

Aoi looked exasperated. "Regardless, Mikan can't marry the old wuss here."

"'The old wuss' happens to be your brother."

"Wait, I just need to get things straight." Mikan breathed, and everyone's attention was on her once more. "I understand the whole situation, but why do I need to get married to him in the first place? I can live here without having to marry him. I can clean, I can cook. I'm not exactly helpless. I don't need to marry him."

"Hypothetically, either choice you have," Narumi explained, "You'll be in quite a case. As you probably noticed, Natsume's mistakes make in the front page of every broadsheet and tabloid. If they see you here yet you are in no way connected to be having an affair with him, your name will be tarnished. If you, say, accept the marriage, Natsume will drop the ownership of this house _eventually _and you will be able to live in it alone. Basically, you both need each other. He needs a wife and you need the house."

"But this house is mine." Mikan blinked. "How can we both own the house?"

"Apparently, the selling is somehow illegal. It will be bad for Natsume's reputation to be included in the issue. He's a lawyer and errors like these are embarrassing. Like I said, his mistakes make in the front page."

"As if people don't have something better to gossip about in their lives than me." Natsume grumbled.

Mikan inclined her head. "Why do you make in the front page, anyway?" They were all still. "Well?" Mikan prodded.

The doorbell rang and Narumi immediately stood up. "That must be the food. I'll get it."

"I'll help you," Ruka volunteered a little too eagerly.

"I'm going to change," Natsume got out of the couch and proceeded to the hallway on the left wing of the sitting room.

Realizing she only had one company left, Mikan turned to Aoi who was halfway off her seat. "You don't get off that chair until you gather all my thoughts."

Aoi sat back with an unsure expression. "Listen, Mikan. I don't want you to get married at the wrong time, but Narumi's kind of right."

"There's no logic in that." Mikan argued.

"There's not supposed to be in _any _logic in that." Aoi sighed. "Take it this way. If you agree to marry Natsume, you'll get the house after six months or a year at most. You can help wheedle him out of this stupid chaos he brought himself in. You'll be helping a troubled soul, Mikan, and I _promise_, no, I _swear_ that Natsume is going to help you look for your mother, and we'll help you with a new life and all."

Mikan remained doubtful. She had always dreamt that her marriage would be to a handsome prince (Natsume was indeed handsome but she's quite reluctant with the prince part) who brings her flowers everyday, kisses her before he leaves and shares his love every time he goes. Mikan was a natural romantic and appreciated prose and poetry of the genre. Aoi guessed Mikan's disinclination.

"I'm sorry," Aoi said, and moved to sit next to Mikan on the floor. "I know it's not exactly how you expect it to be, but I promise he'll make it worth it."

"It's not my dream to get married to someone I don't love, Aoi," Mikan wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin on it. She stared at the cackling embers. "You'd know from what I told you that night we met. It's just not a picture I want to happen. I don't want to be someone's 'ex-wife'. I want to be someone's _wife_."

Natsume heard feet shuffling and Narumi's soft, "Food's ready." He straightened from his position against the walls and headed to his room to change out of his suit. He was not going to admit that he heard his sister and her friend's conversation.

**

* * *

M**ikan wasn't exactly glum during supper. They were huddled around the kitchen, sitting all over the place. Natsume never bothered with investing for a dining room because it was just usually him and some other person around the bungalow. Most of the time, he skipped meals for coffee and a piece of toast. Thus, they made do with what the house currently provided. There were three bar stools around the counter and that was where Mikan and Aoi sat. Narumi was already clearing his plate and Ruka was pouring them drinks. Natsume leaned across the counter, and he was eyeing Mikan with an unfathomable expression. She had still not said her decision, and he suddenly felt sorry for dragging her in. He knew that she was aware of the fact that they needed an answer that night and as soon as possible.

Aoi was chatting animatedly, trying to lift Mikan's spirits. She talked about school and classes, teachers and classmates. She babbled about uniforms and shoes, fast food and cafeteria food. Basically, Aoi was trying to let Mikan's minds wander other than the subject of her MIA mother or the indirect offer of marriage from Natsume. Consequently, she decided to have a talk with Natsume. If Mikan was going to agree, he owes her a proper proposal. Maybe it wouldn't be something Mikan would carry around in a scrapbook that she will show her daughter in time, but it would be something Mikan wouldn't forget.

Ruka placed two glasses of carbonated drinks in front of the girls while he passed beer bottles to Natsume and Narumi. The atmosphere grew eerily and uncomfortably quiet while they pressed their lips against the brims of the glasses and bottles. The clock ticked: it was eight in the evening. They had a big day tomorrow, whichever choice Mikan agrees to. It was putting too much pressure on her, but Mikan was an eighteen-year-old. She wasn't a kid. She was wise and knew how to make choices by herself. It was what she prepared for all her childhood and adolescence years.

The plates were on the sink and they were all drinking ten minutes later. The quiet was not the tranquil one: it was uneasy. Narumi cleared his throat to open the discussion, but as he did, Mikan had said, "I've made a decision."

Natsume stiffened from his position. He had not moved from there since. Aoi looked at Mikan and Ruka's eyes were grave. Narumi prodded her. "Yes?"

Mikan took a deep breath. "I'm going to agree with five conditions."

"We'll do it," Narumi said quickly, "We'll agree."

"Number one: I want help with my mother, and the press does not know about it, or her. I don't want my family affairs broadcasted on country-wide television."

Ruka nodded. "Understandable. We'll start on it first thing tomorrow morning. I'll have the PIs and the police pitch in some people."

"Number two: I go to high school for the remaining months of the school year for college."

"Wait, middle of the school, Mikan?" Aoi's eyebrows met. "That's putting quite a lot of pressure on yourself."

"I don't think I can jump to college just yet. Besides, it's better than waiting and doing nothing. Number three, my expenses—"

"Will be mine to pay." Natsume finished. Mikan turned to him to argue, but he cut her off on that as well. "You're going to be a wife. It's a man's job to pay for his woman's expenses."

"But I'm not your woman, remember? It's an act."

"Per se, how are you going to keep up with your expenses? You're a woman. You PMS. You have issues."

She frowned. "That's a bit chauvinistic of you."

"I'm being real. You don't have a job."

"I'll find one."

Natsume didn't say anything first and observed the stubborn girl in front of him. Her face was full of determination and her steely brown eyes stared up to his with fortitude. He sighed. "We'll compromise. I'll process a credit card for you but I pay two-thirds of your bill."

"The credit card is enough. I'll pay for my own expenses. You pay for nothing."

"Two-thirds. Give or take. You have to start with some money before you can get a job. High school is no easy place either."

"Alright then, deal." Mikan breathed. _So far, so good_. "Fourth, I don't want to see your face with another woman. If I'm eventually going to be your ex-wife, you'd have to wait for the ex- part before you can go crazy with all the attractive long-legged beaus out there."

Aoi coughed in an attempt to hide her chuckle. She noticed her brother's glare and she shot, "What? She has this thing down pat."

"And number five," Mikan exhaled, "you do not treat me like a dog." Natsume looked a tad taken aback as if she just accused him for commanding his staff with words like _sit, silence _and _fetch, _and so she furthered, "I want to be aware of everything we're doing. We handle situations at the same time. You do not stop me from talking or interacting with other people because you think I'm going to blow up the whole thing. I won't. That is, if you keep me tacked, so you'd better at all times. You owe me that after you turn my life 360°."

Sealing an agreement on marriage was not what Mikan came to Tokyo for. She was romantic and hailed happily ever afters and that perfect prince charming on the white shining horse. She couldn't knock her head why she agreed to it, but perhaps, it was the opportunity to find her mother. Japan was an awfully large place to begin with and she needed all the help she could get.

"Is that all?" Narumi asked kindly.

Mikan shrugged. "That's all I can muster at the moment."

Narumi nodded understandingly and straightened himself. "Very well then, I should go. It's going to be a field day tomorrow, better put on your hats. We've a busy Friday." Narumi nodded to Natsume and Ruka, ruffled Aoi's hair and smiled encouragingly at Mikan. "I'll see you."

When Narumi's wheels drove away, Aoi hopped off the stool and Mikan did the same. "You should go to bed, Mikan. Narumi's right. It's going to be a chaotic Friday."

"I think we should stay," Mikan mumbled. "It's a bit late."

"What?" Aoi looked at her in confusion. "Oh. You're staying here from now on, but I'm staying for the night. Come on, I'll show you the guest room. I won't go to school tomorrow."

"You can't suddenly decide that you don't want to go to school," Natsume said irritably, "If I don't see a perfect attendance, you're in trouble."

"Natsume, nothing's going to happen tomorrow," Aoi rolled her eyes. "Trust me. The dean cancelled tomorrow's classes."

"Oh, really now?" Natsume asked, arms crossed.

"Well, he _will _cancel tomorrow's classes if you drop a call..." Aoi smiled hopefully.

"Not happening. As much as I'd hate to break your amazing trust in my power, I can't tell your dean to cancel classes because my sister wants to go to work with me."

Aoi sighed. "Let's go, Mikan."

They were hardly out of earshot when Ruka grabbed an apple from the basket Aoi brought to Natsume's kitchen often. "I'll need to go as well. I need to send the PIs early to work."

"With the Hijiri case? Don't you think you should slow it down? Imai wouldn't like you stealing her people."

"I promised, Natsume."

"Which reminds me," Aoi butted in and her head peeked, "I rang the flower shop that sent Mikan the carnations and roses."

"And what did they say?" Ruka was as eager to help Mikan. She was sweet and rare, but, he reminded himself, she was young for him.

"The owner was not around, so the flower boy was not sure about saying anything. They've got the hospital confidentialities going on as well. But I bet some bread would throw them off."

"Bribery?" Natsume scoffed. "That's against the law."

"And so is buying a house someone legally owns."

"Touché."

**

* * *

N**atsume heard her.

It was two in the morning and he had to take some of his work because of the press conference. He was nearly done but was awfully thirsty; staying up late has never been an issue to him. He was a pro at it— has been since college. He took two courses at the same time to graduate early—so did his two colleagues, hence, their ages and positions. It meant less time for life but he knew it was what he needed to do. He was a Hyuuga. His name's a terror yet honored.

He lived in a bungalow and sound was conspicuous. He was walking out of his study and on the hallway when he heard the sobs. They were muffled but Natsume always paid close attention to details— it was his job, to spot even the tiniest things. He leaned against Aoi's door, but there was nothing from her room.

He walked right into Mikan in the sitting room. She was so small, he could barely see her. She was cuddled before the fireplace, leaning against the couch. The fire crackled and her face was hidden under her knees. Natsume wondered, for a quick second, why Mikan agreed in the first place. He would understand; after all, it was just a plan. She may seem brawny but she was still a young woman.

The depressing cries continued and he couldn't take it anymore. He quietly walked to his room and back on where Mikan was. He draped the thick comforter over her. Mikan looked up and seemed horrified when she saw him; she swiftly rubbed her eyes, but Natsume had already seen and heard her. The actions were futile. Without a word, he casually sat beside her and stared at the fire. For a moment, neither spoke. Mikan pulled the comforter tight against her and smelled a faint scent of manly fragrance. It was neither horrendous nor dizzying.

"I'm sorry," Mikan finally whispered seconds later. "I'm afraid that I might do a bad job."

_That's half-true, _Natsume wanted to say, but didn't. The poor girl was depressed.

"Please don't take it against me," she continued; voice still hoarse. "I'll try my best."

And it struck Natsume. Mikan _really _wanted to do her best, but she was terrified of what little mistake could affect someone else. He shook his head amusedly. She had a jam-packed life yet still worries about the others. "You don't need to try," Natsume said. "You'll do well."

"But what if I slip? That's not going to be smart."

"No, it won't," he admitted, "But so is charging into a pack of wolves with the whole situation written on your forehead. Put some muscle in there, kid." Natsume stood up. He rarely gave advice and they were always vague. "You'll do well."

He went to get a drink, and when he passed by her, she was fast asleep with a serene look on her face but with dried salty tears below her eyes.

**

* * *

S**ix o'clock in the morning and they were already up and about. Natsume Hyuuga's bungalow, which was often quiet in the early crack of sunlight, was unnaturally filled with a handful of people: Aoi, Mikan, Narumi, Ruka, Hotaru, Anna and himself. Narumi was juggling four phones at once while Hotaru and her secretary got busy with their laptops. Ruka was pacing back and forth, waiting for a call. Natsume, however, sat on the longest couch clad in a black business suit with a large order of his usual caffeine beside Aoi who was already donning her school uniform. Mikan crossed and uncrossed her legs every few moments, biting her lower lip and fidgeting on a pretty light floral tea dress, courtesy of Aoi's closet.

"Mr. Hyuuga."

Narumi's voice was awfully grave and formal that everyone stopped everything they were doing to look at him. "Hn?"

"Your mother sent a message." There was a sharp intake of breath from a couple. "She wants to meet as soon as possible."

They eyed Natsume. "That's expected," he finally sighed. His grasp around his coffee tightened a tad. "When? No, never mind, that's a stupid question. What time?"

"Lunch. It'll collide with your meeting with Hatsuni."

"Cancel the meeting."

Ruka frowned. "Natsume, you know that's not—"

"I want the meeting canceled," he repeated firmly, his eyes never wandering from the fire. "It's better if I don't see her for the meantime; perhaps next week, or the week after that. Let someone else handle it. They only need to process the division of ownership, after all."

Ruka shook his head and sighed. "It can't be helped. What are the four appointments Natsume has after lunch?"

Narumi flipped through the planner. "The briefing room at 1:35, signing the collaboration of two banks for an hour, a quick meeting with the corporate lawyers and a forty-five minute session with flour three."

"Be sure you're around a fax machine," Ruka ordered Natsume, "It'll be trouble to change the name of the signatory. I'll pitch in my name as the witness and ask Narumi to reprint the agreement for the banks. I'll fax it over."

"Make it quick." Natsume added needlessly.

"Excuse me," Mikan politely interrupted. She was looking peaky. "But where do I fit in with today's schedule?"

"Apparently, everything." Narumi said. "You'll be coming with us to work and the chauffer will be taking you to the Hyuuga mansion."

"Are you coming with us?" Mikan asked Aoi. She relaxed a bit with hope and it was evident in her voice.

"If I can get out of school around lunch."

"No." Natsume said resolutely. "There will be neither cutting nor skipping classes for you."

"But, Natsume!" Aoi whined, staring up at her brother with the best tearful expression she could. "Mikan's going to be lonely."

Natsume quickly spared the other a glance. Her head was bowed and her cheeks were turning a pinkish red color.

She was pitiful.

"Alright." Natsume exhaled and stared back at the fire. "Just this once."

He had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time.

**

* * *

H**alf of Japan stood in front of Alice Law Firms, all armed with recorders, video equipments, cameras and notepads.

It was an exaggeration, but it seemed so for Mikan.

"Listen, now," Narumi said gently from beside her; Natsume was riding shotgun. Aoi was dropped to school. Ruka, Hotaru and Anna went to work earlier. "You won't be telling anyone anything just yet. They'll see you the moment you step out of the car and they'll be asking you a lot of questions. _Don't answer them_. Whatever happens, you look ahead, smile at a few cameras, but you don't open your mouth."

Mikan mutely nodded.

"Sir," the chauffer spoke from in front, "We're here."

Indeed they were. He had stopped in front of the firm building and the press was suddenly snapping pictures, rolling their cameras. They knew they weren't allowed inside the building unless personally admitted so. They were eager for a scoop but they were also familiar with Atty. Hotaru Imai and her potentials and rules.

Narumi mildly smiled at Mikan. "You'll do well, won't she, Natsume?"

Natsume used the rear view mirror in front to glance at her. A flash of their earlier conversation wound up in his mind. "Yes, she will."

The chauffer walked out of the car first and opened the door on Narumi's side. He stepped down and gathered his things. It was important for the press to get a couple of pictures of Mikan, and they needed pictures with the fiancé and the fiancée together. Narumi moved to open Natsume's car for her, and subtly, he whispered to his boss, "Good luck."

It was not the best thing to say, but it was badly needed. By finally exposing Mikan, it would signify the beginning of her life turning upside-down. Everyone would start knowing her business and she wouldn't get to live the life she wanted to— peaceful, discreet and comfortable.

Natsume nodded subtly and there were _snaps _and _clicks _and _whizzes _all around him. Narumi stepped back and got hold of Natsume's suit case. Natsume's hand reached for the car door handle, and Mikan told herself, _This is it, Mikan. Get a hold of yourself. You either pull this off or not._

The suede pumps had barely made contact with the ground when the crowd started buzzing. Natsume held out his hand and she took it with her own sweaty palm. He lightly squeezed hers and faintly nodded for comfort. She exhaled and stepped down, immediately blinded by the flashes and gone deaf with everyone's questions.

"What's your name?"

"Where do you live?"

"Are you in college?"

"How'd you meet?"

"How long have you two been together?"

They were endless and she wanted to go dive back in the car, but the chauffer had drove away. Natsume lightly tugged on her hand and they, along with Natsume, proceeded on the steps. The crowd followed but stopped before the steps. They were still afraid of the consequences.

"That went fine, didn't it?" Narumi announced lightly. "Things won't be so bad with Atty. Imai around."

"Why are they afraid of Atty. Imai?" Mikan asked. She wanted to keep the conversation going to avoid looking at the stares and hearing the whispers.

"She's known for her own reasons." They entered a vacant elevator and Narumi quickly pushed a button. "And you learn to trust her. She's fairly intimidating but the woman has a heart."

There were a couple of stops but no one got in when they realized who was inside the loft. Some dashed with their heads bowed while some were simply awestruck. When they got off their floor, Natsume was walking like he owned the floor.

Mikan rubbed her arms and scooted near Narumi. "What do I do now?"

Narumi gave her a small smile. "We wait for lunch, unless Natsume would want you to meet up with his cousin."

"His cousin? Why do I have to meet his cousin?"

"You're supposed to meet her in the afternoon but you might stay a little longer with Mrs. Hyuuga. Maybe you should ask him. I'll have to give Ruka a couple of things…"

"But…"

"Don't worry, Mikan," Narumi winked as he went the other way, "He doesn't bite."

"I sure hope not," Mikan muttered. The door labeled with **ATTY. NATSUME HYUUGA **had closed behind the owner. Mikan feebly followed and silently scolded herself. _You're not a kid anymore, Mikan. _"Natsume?" She called when she bounded inside.

Natsume was already sitting on his desk with another cup of coffee, a BlackBerry on the other and an earpiece on his right ear. "Yes?"

He sounded preoccupied, and Mikan thought bitterly, _So this is going to be my first marriage? To a man who has no time for me? _"Mr. Narumi wanted me to ask if it'll be alright if I meet your cousin this morning."

"My cousin?" Natsume asked, but he was busy fiddling with his phone.

"The one I was supposed to meet in the afternoon."

"Tell him yes. I'll contact the chauffer." He was still gripped by his phone.

Mikan bit her lip. She didn't like the situation. They barely know each other. Hell, she _punched _him the first time they met. "I'll be going then. I'll see you lunch."

Natsume tore his eyes from his phone and finally turned to her. One eye was arched and a small smile was visible. He wondered how his cousin would react. Mikan was young and mature in so many ways. Physically, she was the typical girl-next-door you'd pass by on the street. He'd guess that she would like Mikan. "Yes, you will."

Aware that he had his attention; Mikan shifted her eyes to his. They were a dazzling color of red, like Aoi's. Without meaning to, she blurted out, "Are you suffering from albinism?"

Natsume frowned. "Pardon?"

"Ocular albinism." She continued knowledgeably, misinterpreting Natsume's expression. "You eyes show a reddish or pinkish color because your iris lacks pigment. Your red blood vessels show through behind your eyes."

And dear God help her, Natsume chuckled.

"Right," Mikan mumbled and bit her lip again. _You're such a nerd, Sakura. Why must you be so curious about everything? _"I'll go now."

She was near the door with her back turned when Natsume called for her. "I'll see you later."

_He should laugh often. _She reckoned to herself and went to wait for Narumi to come out of Ruka's office.

**

* * *

T**he woman's back was turned when Mikan arrived. The boutique she entered was about twice the size of Natsume's office. There were mannequins and rows of clothing, shelves of shoes and bags, three-way mirrors assorted with sparkling jewelry and pretty headwear. There was a counter at the middle of the place, and the woman was talking on the phone. Her hair was dark with faint myrtle.

Mikan cleared her throat to announce her arrival. The chauffer said he'd go in thirty minutes past ten if she still had not come out. She approached the counter and heard snippets of the conversation; there was no one else in the boutique after all. The woman turned and quickly assessed her before rustling through her Moleskin.

"Yes, I'll send her back as soon as I can. You can hang up now, Natsume, she's right in front of me. What? Yes, she's alright. No, no one's around. Hang up already."

The woman put down the phone and Mikan gave her a smile. The woman wordlessly dodged outside the counter. When she faced her, Mikan thought she was being x-rayed. The tips of her hair were curled in a way that made Mikan wonder if they were fake hair extensions. She had a tall model figure and an aura of self-importance. She wore a grey cape dress with long white pearls, and she stood and stared that suddenly made Mikan self-conscious.

"So, Mikan Sakura?"

Mikan nodded. She suddenly wanted to vanish.

"You're my cousin's fiancée?"

She nodded again. Maybe if she was quick enough she could dash outside? Only, before she even realized it, the woman was suddenly on her with a taping measure. "Wait—"

"Stay put!" The woman ordered, and Mikan hastily obeyed and stood like a soldier. "So, Mikan Sakura, would you like to tell me why you agreed to my dear cousin's request?"

"What request?" Mikan fibbed. She gasped when the tape measure wrapped around her bust area.

The woman broke into a smile. "I'm Sumire Shouda. It's nice to meet you."

"I'd say it's nice to meet you too, except I'd be lying with your hands all over me."

"Hmm, I like you,"Sumire said, her palms making contact with Mikan's hip, looking for her hip bone. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"That's a bit young, isn't it, to get married so soon? That's cute."

"The engagement is not sealed." Mikan mumbled. Sumire was measuring her arm.

"I know that." Sumire said nonchalantly. "You don't have a ring. Tell Natsume to get you one, or else people will find out."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mikan said hastily.

Sumire shoved the tape measure and the notepad towards Mikan before shuffling through one of the racks. She soon vanished in another row. There was a soft rustle and Sumire appeared again, her hands full of clothes. She pushed Mikan to a dressing room and winked. "Try these out. And don't worry, hun. I can keep a secret. It's safe with me."

_**

* * *

Author's Note: **__For some reason, it's quite natural, the way their words and conversation flow, like almost human. We talk about one subject and are unknowingly led to another, and to another, and to another, until we've finally lost track of what we were originally talking about. Ü Nothing much happened in this chapter. Basically, it's Mikan getting to know the life she would soon be living._


	6. Beautiful Soul

_**Chapter VI: Beautiful Soul**_

_I don't want another pretty face_

_I don't want just anyone to hold_

_I don't want my love to go to waste_

_I want you and your beautiful soul._

_You're the one I want to chase,_

_You're the one I want to hold_

_I won't let another minute go to waste…_

_(Jesse McCartney)_

* * *

**M**ikan argued with Sumire. She argued again. She rolled her eyes and slashed her tongue, licked her drying lips and snapped at the woman seven years older than her. There was no need to change out of her dress, she argued. Of course there is, the other clucked. You're meeting the mother, that's enough explanation. There's really no point, Mikan repeated exasperatedly. Sumire was adamant, though, and soon released a fierce nature that made Mikan run into the dressing room and hastily rush out in a knee-length nude dress with a draped neckline.

"Now, aren't you looking very pretty?" Sumire smiled and fluffed Mikan's hair. "You have to look your best, sweetheart. If you don't, you'll drag yourself down. It's not going to be a pretty picture, mind you."

"I appreciate the help," Mikan mumbled, and when she noticed one of Sumire's eyebrows arch up amusingly, she hastily added, "Really, I do, but the pressure is too big, don't you think? I've barely known him and in, what, a few weks? A month or two? I'll have to marry him. Sure, I have pros, but this thing will cost me the rest of my life. No one will truly leave me. If I get an F in a test, it'll be all over the papers how Hyuuga's fiancée is really a dumb bimbo and his biggest mistake is marrying me."

Sumire observed her sympathetically. The young lady was honest and true, and her insecurities were truthful— it was evident that Mikan was scared of what was loaded on her back. Seeing the glum look she had on, Sumire softly flicked Mikan's forehead. "You know what's really missing?"

Mikan frowned at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't notice anything that needed help. Her hair looked better than usual with a diamond barrette holding half of it up. A necklace slung on her collarbone, and the dress was pretty and just right— not tight-fitting nor loose. There was light make-up because Sumire said that it exemplifies beauty and simplicity and sufficient aura to please that part about Natsume's mother. She was told that the woman was fifty-one years old and preferred a single item to stand out on its own. Mikan had asked Sumire earlier how she was going to stand out with her normal features and the other said nothing but smiled. "I don't know," she finally sighed, losing hope in the feat that she was to partake in, "I think I've enough."

Sumire vanished behind a door and was out in about five seconds with a rose-colored clutch. She shoved Mikan's few belongings in the small bag: a phone from Natsume with six other mobile phone numbers: Aoi's, Hotaru's, Narumi's, Natsume's, Ruka's and Sumire's, respectively; a cotton handkerchief; a slightly light shade of lipstick and a compact. It was eleven minutes past ten, and they have enough time to go through details.

Mikan allowed herself to be pushed outside of Sumire's boutique and inside the car. It was only the slam that made her blink and look at Sumire, whose beam was gentle and proud, right outside the window. "A bright smile, hun," Sumire said softly, and Mikan felt her frown and troubles falter a tad bit, "That's what's missing. Now, go lighten up that strict aunt of mine."

As they drove off, Mikan waved at the honest woman she was likely going to be with for a long time, and knowing she had met another person to trust and treasure in this new life of hers, Mikan finally smiled with all honesty, and she looked every bit a dashing young lady: amazing, bright and confident.

**

* * *

S**he was not every bit a dashing young lady. She wasn't amazing, bright or confident. She was dumb and stupid with an extremely low self-esteem, and if Aoi allowed her, she would have called herself things more and worse than those.

She needed luck.

"Mikan, chill," Aoi sighed and handed her a bottle of water. They were a couple of minutes from the Hyuuga home but Mikan continued to stutter and stumble with her thoughts and words.

"I can't do this," she breathed, "I really can't."

"Come on, Mikan, you're not facing the Tokyo press!" Aoi muttered and swallowed some liquid as well. Natsume was riding shotgun and was quiet the whole journey. Mikan, however, was being tested. "Now, back to business, and please, for the life of me, do _not _stutter."

"I'm sorry," Mikan burbled, "I can't help it."

"Hey, look. You're _not _lying. You're _not _making up a story. You will tell everything about yourself. Mother won't let the word out about your mom. There is _nothing _to be scared about, alright?"

"But she's so… _serious_."

"And so is Natsume."

"Yeah," Mikan mumbled so low that Aoi barely heard her, "but Natsume doesn't always speak to me so there's a difference."

Before Aoi could say anything, however, the chauffer was entering a set of big iron gates to a humongous home. "We're here," she breathed.

"We're here," Mikan muttered as well a minute later when they were entering the house steps. "We're really here." She knew she sounded like a kid leaping down the plane in some country, only; she was not here for fun. She was here to talk to a woman about her life, her petty social status, her being practically an orphan and how she met Natsume Hyuuga. There were no lies except that she and Natsume fell in love almost instantly and that it happened sooner than six days ago.

There was a butler in a black suit waiting by the doorway. He was every bit a proper man and looked quite old. He had thinning gray hair with a bald spot at the top. His gray mustache was also trimmed to perfection. His white gloves were spotless and Mikan would guess that he had a coat brush behind his jacket pocket.

"Sir, Miss," he nodded at Natsume and Aoi, before smiling at Mikan, "Welcome, Miss Sakura."

"Uh, really," Mikan blushed, not really comfortable with being addressed so formally, "You can call me Mikan." When she noticed the perturbed look on the butler, she hastily added, "Of course, if that gets you in any kind of trouble, you can go crazy with Miss Sakura."

Natsume had tucked Mikan's hand lightly around his arm and proceeded inside with Aoi ahead of them before they were stopped by the butler. He took out a coat brush and ran it along Natsume's suit. _Wow, _Mikan thought, _he _does _keep a coat brush_.

He could feel the young lady slightly trembling on his hold. His cousin, bless her, did not give Mikan a pair of shoes with awfully high heels. She graced the white marble floor tiles with a pair of shoes with thicker and more solid heels than the usual— pumps, Aoi called it. He reached for her hand with his another arm and muttered to her ear, "Holding up?"

"I'm okay," she squeaked, and they both knew it wasn't true, "I'm nervous. You can send me to Zimbabwe if I fail you."

"I'm not going to do that," Natsume shook his head and continued in a low voice, "My sister likes you."

They stopped in front of a huge door and Aoi lightly knocked. As the door opened, Mikan whispered back, "I like her too. And I like you too, even though you're quiet and I punched you. I just wish that I don't need to resort to violence just so your mother would like me."

**

* * *

H**otaru was busier more than she had been in the last couple of weeks. Why was she doing this? Even Hyuuga had commented to it once. Nogi gave her a few raised eyebrows as well. Why was Hotaru so intent with Case 021439? She declared her passivity towards it about a week ago, yet here she was, spending more time playing private investigator on the Hijiri case. The parents were in Atlanta and couldn't arrive soon because of personal and technical problems. Hotaru felt sorry for their kid. He was a wreck, traumatized to the soul and has probably seen things he was not ready to see. He was five, for goodness' sake, and his parents left him to a babysitter they got on the spot. If the Hijiris knocked on Hotaru's parents' doors, Youichi would've been in better hands. He could stay in her room as she had her own apartment, and her room was always clean anyway.

And then it struck her once again. She was willing to let Youichi sleep in her room. Hotaru Imai was not selfish— at least not overly so— but there were certain restrictions. One of her rules was that no one was to touch her things unless permitted so. Hotaru wanted to help Youichi. She was helping him at the moment, scanning through case notes, discussing them with the PI branch and even trying to talk to him by taking him to one of their therapists, a 29-year-old blonde named Serina Yamada.

Serina was known for being mysterious and private, and Hotaru loved her despite the fact that she refused to give a detailed copy of her session with the young boy. But perhaps that was why she was favored by the Ice Queen. Serina was one person treating her like she's human and not an AI robot from the sixth dimension. Her notes were short but in a complete paragraph with proper font, size and margin as required by Hotaru.

Through the note, Hotaru's suspicions of Youichi knowing too much were proven affirmative. As Serina's were cryptic, she was still torn between what made the kid lie and why he did.

**

* * *

R**uka rubbed his eyes and downed his fourth cup of coffee. It was barely afternoon and he was due for a meeting for Project E before meeting at the briefing room for Natsume. He wouldn't be able to eat lunch in this case, but he was used to it and coffee and crackers were enough. Narumi was off photocopying files. _I really need a secretary_, he thought_, and fast_. If Narumi didn't stay with him, he might've been groveling by now.

He quickly spared the digital clock a glance. He'd guess that they already arrived in the Hyuuga home. Silently, he hoped that the gods would be with them. Kaoru Igarashi was an extraordinary woman: sharp, confident, respectable, proud, and a proper and important lady. She stands among a crowd, her name a marvel in the field of business. She came to prove her feminism— that she was a woman and she was just as smart and as successful as the men competing with her. She refused to have her name changed when she married a Hyuuga and that was added to people's knowledge on her.

The Igarashi family went on for ages. There was always a man to let the line go on, but it stopped with Kaoru Igarashi. Her father died when she was twelve and her mother refused to marry another. Kaoru was an only child. Her mother left her to be with her father when she twenty-seven years old, not long after she married. Mistress Igarashi was already weak even before and Kaoru wondered if the only reason her mother held on was to see her off on her wedding date.

Ioran Hyuuga had no problem with Kaoru's refusal to change her surname to his. In fact, it made him love her even more. She was the type of woman who did things in a manner that could make jaws drop, eyes widen and opinions to burst out. She was honest and blunt with a reason, and earned a degree of respect because so. Kaoru Igarashi worked relentlessly to prove herself.

She was eventually caged in something she thought could help her up. It _did _help her towards the top, but she was kept behind steels of bar. She wanted to make sure that her name would be a lingering subject in the newspapers for positive reasons, for her parents, for her family name. She worked herself so much and ironically, it was always her husband who reminded her to take it easy. Kaoru Igarashi was not as young as she was before. She was beautiful, but she aged with time. Now that she was thinking and trying to embrace life further, her son and daughter have already lost hope that she would ever become a mother to them.

Not many knew that Ruka Nogi was aware of what Kaoru felt and what her son and daughter felt towards her and her job. Natsume rarely talked but often times, something or two would slip. Aoi was more open and was always like a sister he never had. Kaoru, however strict she may seem, confined into Ruka. It was a bitter winter inside the family's study, when she and Ioran Hyuuga told him that he would be the one to manage Alice Law Firms after getting his degree. Ioran was not very young anymore and couldn't bring himself to work about twenty or so hours a day. He needed to relax, Kaoru had said. He's been helping people for so long, it's time to help himself, she added.

Leaning against the soft cushion, he twirled the chair around to face the sun slowly creeping above, its rays beaming straight into his windows. When the clock struck eleven-forty-five, he leaped off the chair. Before he went to gather the three organized folders on his table, he drew the blinds and blocked the light.

**

* * *

M**ikan nervously bit her lip. She was sitting in front of Kaoru Igarashi herself, ironically intimidating in a white crisp collared shirt and a dark green skirt. She had on a pair of gloves that were spotless just like the butler's.

Mikan was scared.

Beside her was Natsume, whose hands were softly rubbing against her, for comfort and support. Aoi occupied the couch ten o'clock to them. She was not looking at her mother.

Mikan tried to look at the woman in front her but immediately bowed her head. She was too jumpy. Someone knocked on the door and it saved the suffocating silence slowly engulfing them. A young maid rolled in with tea and biscuits.

"I see you're a quiet lady," Kaoru suddenly said moments later, when the maid exited the room with a bow. "Or is this fear I sense? Tell me, young one, are you afraid of me?"

_Lie, lie and say no._ "I wouldn't say I'm afraid." _No, be honest._

One of Kaoru's brows arched. "Then what would you say?"

_Careful with the words, be gentle but blunt_. "I'm not afraid, but I am uncomfortable." _Respect, always with respect_.

"I see."

Her short words made Mikan look up. Kaoru's face was expressionless. _Maybe if things turn out well, we could play poker while drinking tea. _She brushed the thought immediately. "I'm sorry," she allowed the words off her mouth, "I'm not perfect or the daughter of someone as important as you. I have no idea on what I should say or do. I—" She noticed Aoi was pouring out tea for them and she hastily stood on her feet. "I should be the one doing that."

"Sit." The words were like compulsion to her; she immediately sat back. Natsume was not looking at her, or his mother, but his hand, she realized, never left hers. "It is always the youngest who serves the tea. You, I take it, are eighteen?"

Her words were not harsh or mocking, and Mikan took this as something good. "Yes, Ma'm."

"For how long?"

"Since the first of January."

Natsume tried not to wriggle in his sit. He did not know that. He needed work as much as she did.

Aoi handed Kaoru a cup and she sipped on it after a nod towards the younger girl. "Other than that, I know what there is to know about you, Mikan Sakura. You ran from the orphanage your mother left you a week ago. Besides that, you've never left the place. You've given the nuns quite a scare. Not to worry, though. I assure you that they've been told that you're in safe hands."

Mikan was getting red on the face. She quickly accepted the cup Aoi was giving her and tried to hide her face behind it.

"Your mother left you there when you were seven. She told you she was going to deal with a few matters. The nuns were told that she would be gone for a while and that if she hasn't come back for you for a long time, to take care of you. She sent them money enough for your expenses. You were not told. You waited for your mother for so long, didn't you, young lady?"

Mikan's _yes _was barely audible.

"You waited for her all these years, but last week, you couldn't anymore. You left the orphanage and gave hope to a young man older than you by a year, Ken Tarou, is it?"

The affirmative action this time was a quick nod.

"Would it hurt either of you if I ask how you manage to squeeze in each other's lives?"

This time, it was Mikan's hand that reached for Natsume's. It was his turn, and he wasn't going to lie— at least not overly so.

"She got lost looking for her mother," he started, and he could hear Mikan's quick breath intakes, "And somehow ended up in Aoi's doorstep. She was sick and we took her in. This week has been wonderful because of her, and I don't think we're rushing. We had no plans to announce the engagement until she's in college in the first place or perhaps a little longer after that. It was the news last Wednesday that triggered our situation. I asked for her hand the day before that and she agreed, but we haven't bought a ring as to not attract the media."

Mikan absorbed all of it carefully. It was not what they originally planned to say but they didn't expect Kaoru Igarashi to do her homework either.

"Regardless, you shouldn't have mentioned it in the first place." The older woman set down her cup without a noise. "What about Mikan's education? She can't stop it for you, but it'd be difficult to continue it because of you as well. Do you realize the situation you've put her in?"

"Yes," Natsume said, and Mikan could feel that he was being honest to all of them. "I've told her many times how sorry I am." Or maybe not _that _honest, but still. "And I'm apologizing to her now," he lightly squeezed her hand, "that she has to suffer the consequences of my careless actions."

Mikan was speechless. Perhaps Natsume's not so bad after all.

**

* * *

N**arumi would hate to disturb the Hyuuga's little gathering, but he wouldn't butt so if it wasn't a matter he or Natsume's two other senior partners couldn't handle.

No, this time, it was Yura Hatsuni herself demanding to see her lawyer.

"Mr. Narumi," Hatsuni's sing-song voice floated inside Natsume's office. "I demand to speak to my lawyer _now_."

"I've explained it very clearly and I shall again, Ms. Hatsuni. Atty. Hyuuga is not available to assist you due to private reasons."

"However private they may be, I demand his presence immediately."

"Ms. Hatsuni, Atty. Hyuuga has taken the afternoon off for personal family affairs."

"Atty. Hyuuga was supposed to meet me today, Mr. Narumi. He certainly can _not _cancel that for his 'personal family affairs'."

"Miss Hatsuni, please—"

"Don't even say _please _to me, Mr. Narumi! Atty. Hyuuga scheduled a damn meeting with me today and he could not cancel it without telling me!"

"But ma'm, he didn't cancel it. He's away for the remaining of the afternoon but all his work will continue. You are to meet with Atty. Nogi and he will be the one to assist you."

The woman, however, finally lost it and stomped towards his direction with fierce eyes. She slammed her hands against the table. "Listen to me, Mr. Narumi. You tell my attorney that I want _him _now and I'm speaking to no one _but_ him because I've something important to say about my dear husband."

"Well, if you would tell Atty. Nogi, I'm sure he would be able to assist you."

"You doofus! Why would I bother to demand for Atty. Hyuuga if I already have Atty. Nogi at my beck and call? In five minutes, my husband would be walking inside this building, yes, _this _bulding, and see Atty. Nogi. Have you forgotten his name, Mr. Narumi? Sora Takaheshi is his twelve-oh-five appointment. He made it two weeks ago and I overheard his conversation this morning. Do you know what this means, Mr. Narumi?" Without waiting for his reply, she jabbed his finger on his chest and said through grinding teeth, "This means that my husband is filing something against me, and he's getting Atty. Nogi as his lawyer."

**

* * *

W**hen Natsume's phone rang, he wanted to toss it out the window, especially because it was Narumi's ring tone. The files weren't supposed to be faxed until another hour and Ruka was having his lunch, or perhaps a quick meeting. So why was Narumi calling him?

"You are excused." The words came out of Kaoru's lips when Natsume still refused to move his phone from his pocket. "Aoi, you are, too." When Mikan set down her unfinished cup of tea and was about to grab her things, Kaorui added, "No, dear. You stay."

Natsume and Aoi were already standing and they both glanced towards Mikan with a frown.

"She is going to be alright," Kaoru assured them, "I simply want to talk to her in private. It wouldn't take long."

Neither of them made a move. Mikan was scanning their faces for help. Natsume's phone rang again, and this time, the siblings nearly jumped in surprise.

Mikan snapped out of it. She took a deep breath. "You should go answer it, Natsume," she forced a smile, "I'm sure they wouldn't bother you if it wasn't so important."

Aoi was the first to bow towards Kaoru, and after sending a quick troubled smile towards Mikan, she hurried off the room. Natsume lingered for a little longer, his ringing phone on hand, before giving his mother a curt nod and letting Mikan squeeze his hand for a heartbeat. He was not even out of the room when he already answered the phone call.

The door closed behind him, and Mikan tried not to make eye contact with Kaoru. The older woman was who broke the silence. "Tell me, Mikan Sakura. Have you ever blamed your mother?"

"M—My mother? W—Why wou—"

"Be honest with me." Kaoru's voice was firm. "Did you hate your mother for leaving you?"

_Be honest with me_. It rang in her mind. "On some accounts," Mikan breathed, trying not to stutter. "I hated her for not telling me anything. It was wonderful in the orphanage. The people were amazing, but I love my mother. I still do, even though she left me, and I always will. I don't think I can ever hate her." A funny sound came from her throat. She remembered her conversation with Dr. Imai in the hospital. "I can barely remember what she looks like, but I've always known she and I were identical. In a way, my mother has always been with me, no matter the distance."

"Are you willing to give her another chance?"

Mikan stared into Kaoru Igarashi's deep dark eyes. She noticed a certain yet faint quiver in the woman's voice. Her face broke into a small sad smile. She knew where this conversation was going, and she was touched that Kaoru was opening herself to vulnerability. "Do you know what I think, Madame? I think, whatever may have happened in the past, however twisted they became, and however it triggered the present, there is always a space for second chances. In a family, you can never avoid the constant disagreements, and when the one liable apologizes, it's like starting over. You learn to forgive them for their faults. You learn to accept them for their own, because that's family. You love them for who they are, because they are hardheaded, immature, serious, far too goal-oriented… The process isn't always quick, but they are always worth it." Mikan took a deep breath. "Even though Natsume and Aoi make it quite convincing that they've lost hope on your being a mother to them, I know there's a little spark deep in their hearts, yearning for you— for someone they can call their mother. It's not too late."

Neither of them spoke for the moment, but the silence was not the suffocating kind. It was thoughtful and reminiscing, warm and almost affectionate. There was understanding between them. The words were indirect but were like arrows.

They were interrupted by a knock; Mikan sat up and reached for her tea. Kaoru admitted the person behind the door. The butler popped his head inside, entered, bowed to the two, and stood straight. "Master Hyuuga wishes to see the young lady, Madame."

Mikan choked on her tea and the notion was not missed by either but was ignored nonetheless. She didn't hear what Kaoru said next but next thing she knew, the older woman was standing before her, a gloved hand reaching for Mikan. Confusion crossed her face but she accepted it anyway.

They walked out of the room and strolled across the foyer, to the spiral staircase leading upstairs. Mikan's confusion was replaced with awe. _Like Beauty and the Beast_, she thought. She was living a fairy tale. _But for reasons unexpected. _They passed by humongous paintings of the Hyuuga and Igarashi ancestors and huge family portraits. _Beautiful_, she marveled. Natsume greatly resembled his maternal grandfather. She waited for something along the pictures but when they reached the top floor, she was unable to get her answer. They stopped before a door identical as the one she came out from, as well as every door in the whole place, she realized. The butler held the door open and Kaoru walked inside; Mikan followed suit, prepared for something serious-looking, perhaps a study.

It was not what she expected.

The room, perhaps, _used _to be a study. Shelves topped the western part of the room. There was a wooden and sturdy-looking ladder on one side. A table with an odd-looking lamp was before it. Mikan took another step and ran a glance towards her right. That particular part of the room was filled with paintings. There was a big one almost taking up the whole wall. It was a painting of Natsume and Aoi and looked as if it was done not too long ago. Natsume was not clad in one of his usual business suits but something a bit toned down: a classic dress shirt, a grey vest and dress pants. His right hand held a black fedora hat, and his left arm was around Aoi's waist, looking very pretty and a kid at heart in a pair of rose-colored ballet shoes and a light floral frock ending a few inches above her knees. The painting was obviously done on the foyer, right in front of the stairs. And north of the room, sitting with his back turned on the door and facing the wonderful landscape he was painting, was a man Mikan guessed could only be Atty. Ioran Hyuuga.

"From the look of your face, I could only guess that neither my son nor daughter told you about me, have they, Mikan Sakura?"

Mikan blinked. Kaoru Igarashi strolled towards the books. A man she could guess would be in his late fifties or early sixties smiled gently at her. His whitening black hair was long and tied behind his back. A pair of glasses perched on his nose. He had on a white shirt already messed with blobs of colors. A palette was on hand and the paintbrush dipped on his shirt. She quickly bowed her head. "Uh, well, they haven't." It was true. The father never sparked as a threat or a hindrance to their plans to hoodwink the media.

"Humph," Ioran huffed. "How could they forgive to introduce me to such a wonderful lady? Forgive my manners, dear." He set down his palette and paintbrush and reached for the cane resting behind his canvas. He stumbled towards her and Mikan hastily fumbled forward. He held out his hand. "Atty. Ioran Hyuuga, although now I'm not in the firm anymore." He gestured at the wall of paintings: the big painting of Natsume and Aoi, and the smaller ones surrounding it. "This is what I do now. I'm old and I can't reach the people's expectations anymore without faltering. I've spent my time long enough in the field that it's bound time to draw my experiences." He led her towards the wall and pointed to a series of paintings. "I made these the same day I retired out of law. Natsume, young he was even more then, drove me not too far from here, but had an excellent view. I never asked where it was, but it overlooked almost the whole of Tokyo from the mountain. Perhaps he would take you there."

With a smile, Mikan shook her head. "Maybe not. If he ever will, I'd rather he won't. It's a special place for you, sir. I don't want to steal that from you."

"Special places, mementos, ah, those don't matter anymore." He waved her words with his hand. "What matters is physical contact, direct communication. I'm not a young man, my dear. Fading memories won't matter to me in time. My last memories shall be of the people tending to me on the bridge of hand."

Mikan wanted to say he was still young but he spoke of death almost as if it was not something he feared.

"I heard a great deal about you, Mikan Sakura. You are a pretty young woman who braved the city in search for your mother. That is determination and optimism there, both admirable by many and unachievable by most. Young one, you are venerable. This risk you are taking with my son is a potholed path— dangerous, chancy and full of loopholes. It's not going to be an easy life."

"I know," Mikan mumbled. Her eyes were on Natsume's on the painting. He and Aoi's were obviously red, both deep and seemingly unreadable. "He warned me." She squinted. _No_, she disagreed with herself. Natsume's expression was not indecipherable. There was a spark in his eyes, almost hopeful or loving. "But I took it."

"Why?"

"I… I don't know. I have no idea." She blinked. Bewildered at the short yet evocative question, she turned to face the head of the house. There was a fatherly look in his eyes, something Mikan missed for the last eleven years. "Maybe because I need to."

He frowned. "Need to?"

_Crap. Don't show you're panicking, don't show you're panicking! Easy, Mikan. _"Sir, when you married Madame, why did you decide so?" _That's it, easy. Careful, Mikan, he's a lawyer. Or, well, he used to be._

"I think the answer is very obvious, my dear."

"Then mine is obvious as well. To love someone, it isn't out of looks, or wealth. You love that person simply because you are destined to."

"Does this mean you are a believer of destiny?" There was a small smile on his face.

She returned the beam. "I'm a believer of many, sir." _And even hopeless cases like mine._

That was when Ioran Hyuuga and Kaoru Igarashi knew that this young lady who suddenly jumped in their son's life— this Mikan Sakura— bore a beautiful soul with the grandest smile.

She was going to be worth it.

_**

* * *

Author's Note:**_According to_ gakuenalice(dot)wikia(dot)com_: _Many fans seemed to be mistaken in thinking his given name is 'Ioran'. In truth however we__don't__know his name. 'Ioran' was a mistranslation on a previous translator's part; the kanji for the raw page of that chapter actually reads 'Igarashi' which is Hyuuga Kaoru's previous surname before marrying Natsume and Aoi's father. Yukihira Izumi wasn't calling out to Natsume and Aoi's father at all. He was reprimanding Kaoru (which if you go back makes sense as a few pages later he addresses Kaoru as 'Ioran' in the mistranslation, which isn't logical if one is assuming that Mr. Hyuuga is Ioran as Mr. Hyuuga as well fled the room by that point. It should be Igarashi in both cases.)_

But I couldn't make myself give Mr. Hyuuga a name so I'll be using _Ioran Hyuuga _with all my fan-fiction stories from now on.

I apologize I'm putting more narration than conversations lately, but knowing their history would help clear the plot as it goes on. :-)

_**On another note, a very happy holidays to everyone! Enjoy the season and spread the love with your biggest smile!**_


	7. Best Beating Heart

_**Chapter VII: Best Beating Heart**_

_She said I've got the best _

_beating heart in the world_

_And it makes her want to twirl around _

_until she hits the ground_

_(Sing It Loud)_

* * *

"**W**hat happened?" It was the first question Natsume uttered when he and Aoi finally met with Mikan a few minutes before heading back to Alice Law Firms. She had so many to tell. Mr. Hyuuga was a darling man, platonic and laconic. He went a little frail sometime during their conversation and so retreated to rest. Ms. Igarashi talked to Mikan for a while, and she realized that she was not how Natsume and Aoi made her to be. She was kind-hearted and she obviously wanted to make an effort to gather her son and daughter's love and not fail them as a mother. A quick flashback of their endearing conversation flashed in her memory, and she had to smile at it. Out of respect, she drank some tea though it was not her favorite thing in the world. As she was about to leave, Ms. Igarashi called for her.

"_And Mikan? It's alright to address me as your mother."_

Another memory brought her back to Natsume's words. She remembered the question she asked his parents; Mikan grinned. "You didn't tell me you wear contacts."

He blinked. "I don't."

"Yes, you are. Your father told me." She giggled softly, and her eyes wandered deeply into his with utmost interest. "About how you and Aoi—"

"Right," he muttered, "You're alright. You're going home."

Mikan frowned. "Home?"

"You've an early morning tomorrow. You're going to school on Monday, I already talked it over with Narumi. He got the papers done."

"But isn't there some entrance examination first?"

"I've talked it through with the principal."

She grew doubtful. "You didn't pay my way in, did you?" When he didn't answer as they entered the car with Aoi in tow, she repeated the question. He sat beside her this time, with Aoi riding shotgun. "Natsume, tell me you didn't."

"Aoi," he called for his sister, who tilted her head a bit to inform him she was listening, "I need you to go around tomorrow with Mikan."

"Sorry, I can't," Aoi apologized, "I'm going to work on a project." She paused. "Why don't _you _accompany her?"

"Natsume, please tell me you didn't suddenly fund the school," Mikan was persistent to get an answer.

"I have work tomorrow." He did not answer Mikan's question, thus making her whine still.

"Natsume…"

Aoi huffed. "You cancelled work today. Might as well cancel again tomorrow."

His head was spinning with the two females commenting on his decisions. He didn't like that. This time, he chose to answer Mikan's bleats. "What?"

She was staring at him intensely. "Please tell me you didn't use money to enroll me."

"Of course I used money, how else am I going to pay for the fees?"

"Natsume!" Mikan groaned.

"Natsume!" Aoi imitated.

Aoi tossed an iPod at Mikan, who put the earphones on with a sigh. The car ride grew long and silent, and it was not long after when Mikan fell asleep, her head against the window, still being sung to a lullaby by the song playing on the iPod.

He noticed it, and so did his sister. Unlike him, though, she acknowledged it. "She looks quite uncomfortable, doesn't she?"

"I haven't got a pillow with me."

Aoi turned a little to show her scowl. "You're an insensitive prick."

"I've been told."

"I really can't go with her tomorrow."

"Someone will have to." He sighed. "She can't go off alone. The shock still hasn't died yet."

"I can't, unless you're willing to make my report on the human reprodu—"

"What time does the mall open?"

* * *

**M**ikan didn't know how she got there, but when she opened her eyes, soft music was playing via Aoi's iPod and she was lying on her bed in the bungalow. The windows were draped but one glance at the digital clock on the bedside table informed her it was thirteen minutes past seven. When she stepped down the bed and out of the room, it was eerily quiet. _Natsume's not home yet, _she guessed. She knocked on his study. No answer.

She was hungry.

Her stomach grumbled and she frowned as she walked to the kitchen. She scanned the contents of the refrigerator. She didn't have enough money for take-outs and there was no leftover pizza. She grabbed the carton of slim milk that Aoi liked to drink whenever she was staying over and washed a granny apple.

She went to the sitting room and sighed. Natsume had a television set but she bet he didn't use it often at all. She flipped channel after channel, and ten minutes later, she still hasn't found a single show to watch and her milk and apple were long gone. Grudgingly, she settled on the news channel.

She suddenly felt like she was looking at a mirror.

On the screen was a clip of her coming out of the car with Natsume.

_He's right_, she thought. She knew from the start it was going to be like that, but she didn't know it would cause something like… like _that_. They even have pictures of her entering and going out of Sumire's boutique and a report on her new school. She didn't even know which school she was going to and they were already on it.

And suddenly, it was there. It was her looking a little older— "No…" It was her mother. A photograph, to be precise. Yuka Sakura. Reported to have been missing since a few months ago. Have not been seen. Mother of Mikan Sakura who is fiancée to Atty. Natsume Hyuuga, heir to the Igarashi fortune. And then it was followed by a photograph of the orphanage and a brief interview. Her entire life so far was slowly being unraveled to people she didn't even know existed.

Everyone in Tokyo knew she was nothing.

"I thought you were still asleep."

She looked up. She didn't hear him coming in, but right now, she didn't care. She didn't care anymore. She just needed someone to hold on. Standing up and knocking the glass on the carpet, she ran to Natsume's arms and cried.

"Shh," he whispered on her ear. "It's okay."

"No," she sobbed, "It's _not _okay. It's never going to be okay."

* * *

"_**T**__hey did _what_?"_

"Just turn on your television."

"_I can't, or else I'm going to spend all my time watching. How did they even know? It's supposed to be private. Natsume, you said it was private!"_

"Do I look like I know? If I knew, I wouldn't be calling. I need you to come here."

"_It's past curfew."_

"We have no curfew."

"_You're twenty-four, of course you don't. I'm sixteen. I have a curfew. And I'm busy."_

"I'm a working man."

"_Yes, you're a lawyer and you work twenty-four-seven, blah, blah, nothing I haven't heard of." _Aoi's voice suddenly grew stronger_, "Listen here, brother. You are going to get married to Mikan and I expect you to spend some time with her. Don't make her regret sacrificing a year to help you with the mess you made."_

_Beep_.

Natsume stared at the phone. His sister just hung the phone on his ear.

"Let me guess," Ruka chuckled from behind him, "Your sister just hung up the phone on your ear."

He still hasn't figured out why he have been friends with Ruka. Sure, the man even dropped his remaining work to stay in his bungalow for "discussion", but that doesn't mean he could actually be such a twat during it.

"You," he pointed, glaring at his so-called friend, "Shut up."

"I dropped work for you, buddy. We're not in high school anymore. Work doesn't define to Sociology papers and Physics problems I can easily cook up in a couple of hours' time."

"Why do I even call you my best friend?"

Ruka grinned. "Because I egged someone's basement for you." His smile fell a little. "But I don't know whose basement to egg this time."

Natsume sighed and grabbed two beers from the fridge. "If you can egg every single Tokyo reporters' basement, I'll give you your monster lair."

"It's an animal clinic."

"Fool me, Nogi."

"Wish I could, Hyuuga. I'm afraid I can't be your friend for a while."

"Sora Takaheshi's a smart man, isn't he? Smart, but a real bastard."

"We'll manage. He doesn't want to lose, and I already know Miss Hatsuni isn't going to take no for an answer."

"Are you going to pleasure me with what he filed?"

"Can't do the pleasure, my friend. His Royal Highness wants them to be private until Monday. Said he loved Mondays. Everyone hated it, but that was when money started for him."

"Greedy prick, too."

"He's paying the firm a lot." Ruka mused. "I could actually start a pet store and I won't need to prove my loyalty to you by egging people's basements. Okay, ow, not cool. What, man? You're the Asian male version of Paris Hilton."

"Are you calling me—"

"Hey, I said nothing! But come on, man, every step the woman does make it to the tabloids, the broadsheets and the flash reports. The only difference is that your choice of coffee and clothing doesn't make it in the front page. Don't tell me that's nothing, because if that was nothing, my face would be on the screen every five seconds."

A soft ruffle of sheets came from the sitting room, and Natsume was suddenly aware of the young Mikan waking up from her short nap after crying. He has never seen a woman cry like that except her sister, because in the first place, Aoi didn't count as a woman yet. As he tossed his half-empty beer can to the sink, he realized that he would not want to wait for the day his sister becomes exactly like Mikan—a pretty young girl completely destroyed by a man's mere foolishness.

* * *

**H**otaru Imai did not like nightly phone calls. The lawyer in her did not make house calls. All private lines were asked to call on her personal line, which was why she was quite doubtful if she wanted to answer the ringing phone. It could be from a client she did not wish to interact with while working so late, a colleague from work, her secretary or from the two other senior partners in Alice Law Firms.

She risked it, and she did not regret it.

The caller was from the young master Hyuuga home, but it was not from the deep haughty voice of her partner, no. It was from a woman, or perhaps a young lady. Soft, sweet and innocently sensual. Aoi Hyuuga did not sound that soft, sweet and innocently sensual.

_Hyuuga's fiancée, _she thought. "Atty. Hotaru Imai. May I ask what your business is with me?"

"_Miss Imai, are you busy tomorrow? Wait, please don't answer that, it's stupid. What I meant was, how busy are you tomorrow?"_

_This girl knows her words. _"Fairly busy for a lawyer in Alice."

"_M—May_," she cleared her throat, "_May you please accompany me tomorrow?"_

An eyebrow rose. "With what?"

"_Shopping for school,_" Mikan mumbled, and then continued in a slightly louder voice, "_Aoi couldn't and she's skipped too much schoolwork for me, and Natsume can't because he's already skipped this afternoon, so Ruka said to give you a ring because he said you would love to and I'd rather risk it than go to the mall alone and— I'm sorry, please wait for a minute,_" Her voice was smothered for a moment when she shouted a barely audible _What _and an equally muffled reply, "_Natsume said he'll give you a raise and I'm sorry for having it come down to here, I promise I'd be good and I won't be a child._"

There was complete, utter silence. Hotaru Imai did not like shopping.

And then a beat.

"Of course. I'll meet you in the firm tomorrow morning. Tell Natsume he'll be covering _all _expenses. Put an extensive and overstated prominence on _all_. Good night, Mikan Sakura. I hope you have a good one."

_Click._

Yes, she'd really like to get along with this girl.

Sipping a bit of coffee, she turned back to her laptop and analyzed once more the latest on the Hijiri case.

* * *

**N**arumi was driving them to Alice Law Firms that Saturday morning. It marked Mikan's one week in Tokyo, and Natsume decided he wanted something special for her, aside from the school shopping he was going to send her off to. Sumire would've been a better choice than Imai but she had to fix up orders overseas. It would also take Imai off his back during work while he settle things off with Ruka, Takaheshi and Hatsuni. It was going to be a wild party and he could imagine Imai's sarcastic words and unprofessional reactions.

"_A _ring_, perhaps?" _Aoi said over the phone while they walked to his office.

"Shut it, Aoi," he mumbled, sneaking a glance at the young brunette beside him. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt he recognized from the closet in the room she was staying. It was a man's v-neck shirt with a pocket in grey— he knew, because it was his. When he pointed it out with a bit of humor in his voice earlier, the girl had blushed and said that it was pretty. He couldn't see anything different about it, except that its grey color was starting to get a little off.

_Perhaps having this kid around will be amusing_, he thought. Bidding goodbye to his sister, he hung up the phone and Narumi handed him the usual. The pattern, according to Mikan, has become very tiring. It was like clockwork, and it was always the same every day. There was no excitement going on in his life.

"You are going out in that?"

"Everyone is free to wear what they wish." Imai shrugged off her business jacket to Anna and handed her as well a bunch of files and folders.

Natsume guessed she'd done it the night before and he was thankful that she was making an effort. _Another gift for that woman, vindictive she may be at times._

"I must add, though," Imai added to him, "Mikan here won't be the only one who's going out. I may also have to eat too and I am charging it on your card."

"Knock yourself out. I mean it literally, so please do."

"Nice try, Hyuuga, nice try." Turning to the younger one, she nodded to the elevator. "Let's go."

"I'll see you later?" Mikan smiled at Natsume. "I don't know how long I'll be out."

"It doesn't matter," he said, "Just get home alive."

Mikan laughed and squeezed Natsume's hands. "Thanks." And then she ran off.

How can Mikan Sakura, a mere eighteen-year-old with barely any experience in the real world, suddenly alter the way he looked at the old firm? In his eyes, it was the reminder to where his whole life was wrecked by choosing to follow other people's decisions rather than his own. This young lady, so suddenly, gave him the thought that the firm was a path to the real world: of changes, of actions, of consequences.

"Mr. Hyuuga?" It was formalities again. "Mr. Nogi is calling you up in conference room three."

* * *

**H**otaru Imai did not like shopping.

She now knew why she didn't. She didn't like walking around stores and coming back out without carrying anything. Whenever she does some shopping herself, she makes sure she has in memory everything she needed. But the thing with shopping with Mikan Sakura was that she had _no _idea what she needed to buy, let alone wanted.

For the past six hours, they have been in three shopping malls, entered numerous stores, squished through crowds (which Hotaru utterly despised), ducked between men carrying heavy and long packages on their backs, threw about twenty hand-outs and brochures on the nearest bin and ignored salesmen and salesladies cajoling them to purchase sickly sweet _eu de parfum_. Amidst that jungle, they were only carrying three bags— one bearing Mikan's new book bag, the second containing five sets of uniform they've collected and the third, a box of donuts for whenever the young eighteen year old was getting low on energy. Hotaru was aware of the time wasted. Mikan still needed a handful of clothes from daywear to sleepwear, shoes for gym, leather shoes for school, everyday shoes and a pair of slippers. She also needed her school supplies, which they will get down to after lunch.

"I'm sorry," Mikan apologized over a bowl of hot soup and sea food, "I'm dragging the day away."

"Perfectly understandable," Hotaru said. There was a sudden beep on her phone and she grabbed it, nodding to Mikan to be excused, and pressed to open her e-mail.

...

**From**: Hyuuga, Natsume

**To**: Imai, Hotaru

**Received**: Sat, 01/29/ 2011; 1:23 PM

**Subject**: I'll Give You an Early Bonus

**Attached File**: Takaheshi_vs_Hatsuni . docx

_Imai,_

_We need you as soon as possible. Refer to draft._

_Signed,_

**Atty. Natsume Hyuuga  
**_Senior Partner, Corporate  
Alice Law Firms_

...

"Figures," Hotaru muttered. Mikan perked up with a questioning look. "Your fiancée e-mailed me. Apparently, I'm urgently needed."

"Oh." Mikan's face fell.

As heartless as she may be, admittedly, Hotaru pitied the child. She was getting married; apparently, to a man who had no time for her, and the people he paid to spend time with her gets robbed in a matter of hours. It was just not fair to Mikan. She needed to have a life.

"Not for another two and half hours," she fibbed easily, going to _Reply_, "Which means we still have less than one-hundred twenty minutes for you to get the rest of the things you need."

...

**From**: Imai, Hotaru

**To**: Hyuuga, Natsume

**Received**: Sat, 01/29/ 2011 ; 1:23 PM

**Subject**: RE: I'll Give You an Early Bonus

_Hyuuga,_

_I have your wife._

_Signed,_

**Atty. Hotaru Imai  
**_Senior Partner, Corporate  
Alice Law Firms_

...

To her, it pretty much explained all.

* * *

"**I**f it's bad news, I'd rather not here anything."

Narumi knew Natsume well. It meant that he was already ready whatever he was going to be thrown. "Mr. Takahashi's secretary called. She said that he wanted to tell you that you're not supposed to— _ahem_— take part in cases you don't cover."

"He's warning me, isn't he?"

"He wants to win the case, obviously."

"I'm sorry to disappoint him, then." Natsume clicked open a new document program. "I have Hatsuni's defense at hand, with her testimonies and everything I need just to throw _him _off."

"He apparently guessed you were going to say that. He wanted you to know that you might end up defending the guilty, not the innocent." Narumi frowned. "I didn't quite get this part."

"He's pulling our legs." Although he said that, Natsume's tone wasn't quite sure himself. "He knows our games."

"And I did a little snooping on our client…" his voice trailed off, not needing to add '_like you told me_'. "It turns out they really had a joint bank account, their own ones, and secret accounts they hid from the other. I wheedled out a favor from a friend and got Ms. Hatsuni's most recent purchases. Last December, she withdrew a total of fifty grand, recipients unknown. I still can't understand where she got _this _kind of money with her job."

"Did you check the joint account?'

"Yes," Narumi handed him another folder, "But it doesn't make sense either. I tried adding up the amount she withdrew the last year but fifty grand just doesn't cut it. Some I got recipients— charities, organizations, clubs, bills. With those, it doesn't even cut close to half of from her account."

"Does she have a trustee?"

"I've got a man here but he quit his job just a couple of weeks ago. Retired to his countryside home. Widow."

"How old is this man?"

"Thirties, would you believe?"

"What's he currently doing?"

"With his parents. No sign of spending an atrocious amount of money. Almost as if he's got nothing in his pocket. But not until we'll have it assured. What do you want me to do?"

"Call him up as a witness."

Narumi blinked, confused. "A witness? We're not even sure what he's on about."

"_Exactly_." Natsume said grimly. "We have to use him to our advantage. If Ruka gets to him before we do, he's on us. We lose the case."

Suddenly, Narumi smiled ironically. "This isn't just a case, is it? It's a battle of male pride. Between two great friends." He shook his head. "We lose either way."

"No. Ruka wins for Takahashi. Takahashi's around us. Win or lose, he's achieved something. He doesn't like me, it doesn't take a genius to make sure of that one."

"You're saying he tricked all of us."

"_Trick _is a weak elementary word. Sora Takahashi _outsmarted _us."

* * *

"**M**ikan?" Hotaru regarded the young girl from beside her. They had gotten her footwear and all her school things which were quicker than they formally thought. "Would you like to buy some ice cream? I don't think I have in a while, and I think it's a shame."

Mikan chose a strawberry-flavored one while Hotaru ordered vanilla. They stood against the railings, holding up the bags and just watching people throttle around on each floor.

"You like crabs, don't you?"

Hotaru's lips twitched. "Yes. How did you know?" She never told anyone that. They sort of find it out on their own.

"I saw the ways your eyes lit up when we had lunch. Remember, you ordered crab?" Mikan shook her head and smiled. "You've seen my face when I got my ice cream, didn't you? I've seen mine on windows and mirrors and pictures a lot of times before. It's almost the same expression you had, only yours were only visible in the eyes. You had that bright little sparkle."

A little amazed at what she had said, Hotaru nodded with amused awe. "You could be a very good lawyer, Mikan Sakura."

"No," she whispered with a rather edge, "I just don't think Natsume would like having an idiot wife." She added a little later, "I don't think I deserve him at all. He's got one of the best beating hearts out there, you know? I feel like those clichéd novel characters, you know? Just watching the rich kid from a far while I lay around like a pauper."

"Have you ever thought that maybe, _they _don't deserve you? Twisting your thoughts around?"

Mikan laughed, but not out of joy. "Why would he not deserve me?"

_Because you're really just better for him. _Hotaru didn't say it aloud, though. She could, she was straightforward— but perhaps, not to Mikan Sakura. Fragile yet strong one she was, but protecting her suddenly seemed like something she had to do. Protecting her from what, Hotaru didn't know. She was like a small child she had to take care of.

* * *

"**E**ver wondered if you really deserve her?"

"I know I don't."

"She doesn't think so." Imai stood up from her chair and went to the glass walls behind Natsume. It overlooked the busy city, still, while the sun prepared to set. "She sounded really true. What did she say about you? Something about having the best beating heart." She scoffed. "The girl's blinded. You have no heart, Hyuuga."

"You think I don't know that?" He muttered. He remained still on his seat, his back behind her and Tokyo.

Three soft knocks on the door. "Natsume?" Mikan called, popping her head in. "Should I head home first or are you coming?"

Natsume gave her the littlest of smile. "I'll be out in five minutes." The door closed behind her and he heard Hotaru's shoes tapped against the floor. "I'm proposing to her. Tomorrow."

"So I heard."

"Words of advice?"

"Don't be so cocky, Hyuuga. Mikan's not like the women you dated when you wanted to goof around in high school. Break her and I swear, I'm not the only one who'll be breaking your pretty face." She gathered her things and stopped before exiting the room. "Prove it, Hyuuga. Show everyone you _are_ who she thinks you are. Show her you _do _have the best beating heart in the world. Make her crazily spin off her heels."

_**

* * *

Author's Note:**_I think I've lost something over the holidays. My sentences, from being too long, came out too short. Ah well, we can't all be perfect. But anyway, thank you for patiently waiting! :)


	8. Today Was a Fairytale

_**Chapter VIII: Today Was a Fairy Tale**_

_You were the prince_

_I used to be the damsel in distress_

_You took me by the hand_

_And you picked me up at six—_

_Today was a fairy tale…_

_(Taylor Swift)_

* * *

"**N**atsume, guess what, I— you're not Natsume."

Mr. Narumi smiled apologetically from the front seat. "I'm sorry, Mikan. Natsume needs to work for another extra hour, but he said he'll take you out for dinner at six."

"I…That's nice." Mikan forced a smile and closed the car door. Of course. She couldn't expect Natsume to always be around. He was a busy lawyer and he needed to work hard. That was required of him.

"What were you about to say?" Narumi interrupted her musings.

Suddenly, saying that she got a perfect score in her English quiz seemed trivial. What was it compared to Natsume Hyuuga's achievements? It was not even close to him sealing a deal with a bank, or winning a case for a wealthy business tycoon. The quiz abruptly became a recess to a lawyer's proceedings in court.

"I made friends today," she fibbed. It was not entirely false. She _did_ make friends. No one was really mean but she did get a few glares, some unwelcoming, for being a 'married' (though she tried saying she was just engaged, yet ended it so as no one seemed to listen) student. People whispered behind her back but there were those who were absolutely pleasant.

"Friends?"

"Yep," she perked, her eyes glued on the road. "Nice people." After that, she pretended to be sleeping. It was just better than pretending that she was all right when in all honesty… she wasn't.

When Narumi dropped her off, his eyes said that he understood her.

Mikan shook it off. She didn't need anyone, not really. She was an adult now; she reminded herself once more as she opened the front door.

She removed her shoes and whispered in the darkness, "_Okaeri_."

Mikan wanted to go to her room and nap for a moment— but since she felt like Sleeping Beauty, what about for a hundred years?—, until she saw a big box resting at the middle of the sitting room. She leaned closer. _Mikan Sakura _was delicately stamped on the box. When she took it out, inside was one of the prettiest dress she has seen. It was the same color of Natsume's eyes: crimson, but not bloody. Dark, but not burgundy. It was the kind of red that was mysterious, just as Natsume was: unpredictable, secretive. Sticky note-d was four words: _Wear your hair down_.

Mikan did not smile, though was grateful. She was still a little upset over Natsume. She knew he cared, but she wished he made it a little more obvious rather than taking her to dinner! Yesterday, she spent the whole of Sunday looking through her books while Natsume went to work. Again.

Sunday was supposed to be family day. _Sunday is always about family day_. And technically, Natsume was her only family.

It was like she was another kid with an absent parent. But she wasn't a kid anymore, she reminded herself once more. She was a big girl. She was an adult.

Deep inside though, she still felt like the young seven-year-old waiting everyday in front of the orphanage gate for her mother— a mother than never returned.

In her mind, she wished she won't spend the rest of her life waiting everyday in front of another door for someone who will undoubtedly never return.

* * *

"**Y**ou've got everything right?"

"_Aoi, hang up."_

"What?" She gasped. "You want me to _hang up? _Natsume, someone I like is going to be married, and, by the way, that someone is not _you_. It's Mikan. She's like a sister from another mister, and in, what, days, weeks? She'll really be my sister. _My sister-in-law_. And you want me to _hang up the phone_?"

"_I can't possibly help around here if I have you on the phone."_

"Multi-task, for God's sake! You've been doing it for years and you can't do this for her? For your _sister_?" She immediately switched topics when a cassette flew around the room. "Have you got someone to video-tape it? If that someone hasn't got any tapes, I'll come right over and use my own damn phone, Natsume, I swear I will."

She was in a classmate's house, staying for a few extra hours for a group report. They were to watch a documentary film but she bet it would be nothing like the proposal. She felt bad she would miss it, but at least there'd be excitement for Mikan's part when she narrates it.

"_It's almost time. I need to go."_

"Natsume…" she said in warning tones.

"Yes,_ Aoi, I do have someone to video-tape it." _She heard him groan. "_Why am I related to you?"_

"Because you need someone to laugh at you because you're too much of a pig to laugh at yourself." She added more fiercely then, "Get this through your head, Hyuuga. Mikan's a_ girl_. Some part of her life, she'd have thought of this moment. The least you can do to someone you're _forced to marry _is to give her a proper proposal. A wedding is something a woman will always remember, no matter if it's phony! Just this once, Natsume. Even _just this once_. Make time for her. Since you're not planning to make _any _for her at all, make _this _worth it. If something goes wrong, Natsume, I swear, this won't be the last time you'll be hearing from me tonight."

Natsume hung up and Aoi gave a loud sigh. She really wanted it to be special— truly, for both her brother and for Mikan. His brother deserved someone who needed to put a little sun in his life. For years, Aoi tried to be that person. She knew her brother's bad-boy attitude in high school— it was a way to grasp for their parents' attention. It never worked, so he tried the opposite. He worked his butt off, took double courses and dragged his best friend Ruka Nogi and a frequent acquaintance, Hotaru Imai.

To this day, she had no idea about the complex relationship his brother and the notorious female Imai share. They were similar yet different at the same time. She couldn't even imagine how they managed to stay in the same room for half an hour when all they could do was bicker at each other and question their own ways in their profession.

"Hey, Aoi!" her friend leaned against the doorframe and gestured towards the sitting room. "The film's starting."

* * *

"**H**ey, Natsume," Ruka gestured towards the hidden video camera, "The film's ready."

"Why are you here?" was Natsume's deadpan reply.

"Hello to you too." He knew his best friend all too much to recognize the tone, so he amusingly rolled his eyes. "I guess it escaped your mind to tell your best friend that you're proposing to your fiancé tonight? Wait a sec," he continued sardonically, "You already proposed, didn't you?"

He was obviously referring to the press conference. Natsume did not like the memory. "This is a private party," he replied tersely.

"U-huh, u-huh, a party for two." He pulled out one of the chairs and said, "So, are you going to bend on one knee and produce the ring?" Natsume continued pacing. "I'm waiting, Natsume. Where's my ring?"

Natsume threw the table napkin towards his best friend's direction. "A good friend would be tossing in a little help."

"I'm not a good friend," Ruka grinned. He stood up and swiftly creased the napkin to a simple yet seemingly elaborate fold. "A good mate would be scolding you for the _wrongness _of the mess you've got your ass in. I'm the best out there, pal. You don't find people willing to egg someone's basement for you."

"Do me a favor, run off, and egg your own basement."

"I don't have a basement."

Natsume didn't always admit it out loud— _alright_, he has _never_ admitted it before— but he liked his best friend. Ruka was the type of friend who would scold at you for doing something stupid, and late apologize but point out his rights. Or will punch a gang of Hell's Riders with you if you were caught in between a fight even though he claimed he is more of 'a lover, not a fighter'. He was ready to stand beside you through all the crap you get yourself in, and kick you on the shin later for considering the action.

And in all honesty? He wished his best friend would get settled soon. Though he's twenty-four, Ruka needed someone who will be the receiver of his kindhearted words and affectionate actions. It wasn't for them. Natsume was the best friend. Aoi was the best friend's brother. Ruka had no siblings— Lord knows how many he's asked it from his parents as a child. He needed someone. A _female_.

"Hey, Natsume?" Grunt. "What about a favor for me this time?"

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

"Don't hurt the kid, alright? I mean," Ruka took a deep breath, "She's still young. She may be eighteen, but she's really just an innocent girl. Don't hurt her more than you already have."

Natsume didn't say something. He instead sat on a chair, gave a curtained wall a thousand-yard-stare, and shook his head rather amusingly. "Ruka, you are the second person from the firm who's told me that. It's odd how she easily captured so many people. Even my mother."

His phone rang and they both knew what it meant.

Mikan has arrived.

Ruka patted his best friend's back. "She has no idea, the affect she has. Good luck, buddy."

* * *

**M**ikan needed all the luck she could get.

She walked down the limousine while Natsume held the door for her. Part of her blow-dried hair was pulled back but she let some of it fall down her back, just like he requested. The dress fit her around the waist and flowed just above her knees. She thought it was pretty. She wondered if he thought so too.

"You look dashingly nice tonight," Natsume whispered on her ear.

Was it enough for the press?

"Excuse me, excuse us— a picture please?"

"What about a snapshot over here?"

"A quick interview for the couple?"

She secretly hoped so.

As they stepped inside, Natsume had to throw Ruka a look to go home before they got into one of the rooms. He pulled back a cushioned seat for her before taking the chair opposite hers.

They hadn't spoken yet; the waiter arrived with a bottle of champagne. Natsume was about to nod his thanks when he realized who it was.

Ruka.

_What the hell are you doing here? _He sent through his eyes, and when Natsume Hyuuga sends something through his eyes, it isn't very pretty.

His best friend replied with a good natured smile and handed Mikan the menu. He lightly touched his fake moustache and blinked his now-green eyes. "What do you want to have for today, ma'm?" He asked with a slight accent.

Mikan uneasily held the menu. She couldn't even pronounce most of the words there! She recognized typical French terms like _caviar, escargot _and _foie gras._ She wasn't going to order fish eggs, snails and duck liver on her first 'date' with Natsume. Heck, it was her _first _date. She's never dated before and she felt a little jumpy.

_Sweetbread_, she noticed on one corner of the menu, accompanied with a picture of an unknown lump of meat and fried vegetables.

"I'll have this," she pointed at the picture, and then to another of barbecued shrimp and cuts of greens and purples. "And this."

"Delicious," Ruka nodded kindly, and then turned to Natsume with a funny twitch on his lips. "You, sir?"

Natsume said something that Mikan didn't quite understand, but it seems the waiter did because he nodded and exited, so she let it go. She probably wouldn't know what it meant, anyway.

Before the silence grew, he asked, "How was your first day?"

_Well, about time you asked!_ "School was amazing," she said breathlessly. She really meant her words. "They have this huge library with all these books, but I can't borrow anything yet because I still haven't got a card."

"You haven't got a card?"

"Because I just got transferred. But I'll get them tomorrow. And then they have this pretty garden with all these pretty roses and benches—"

Natsume leaned a little across the table. "Would _you _like a garden and a bench over at the bungalow?" He wanted to make Mikan happy, and he didn't know where to start. But the way her eyes just light up when she talks about things like these… he wanted to give it to her as well. He wanted to please her. She was giving him her life.

Mikan was honestly warmed by the way he was making an effort. She ought to forgive him already. He _is _busy in the first place, but he obviously wanted to delight her. She shook her head with a smile. "I wouldn't be able to take care of it. Plants are like humans too, you know. They need love and care and all the attention you can give them."

He thought of this for a moment. "Do _you _think I lack in giving you those?"

She blushed at this— was he implying that she was dropping hints? "No," she uttered hurriedly, "Things are perfect."

"That's good." He nodded, and then gestured for her to go on with her story. "What about your classmates? The teachers?"

"I made friends," she said shortly.

Natsume guessed there was something behind it. "Did anyone give you trouble?"

"Not really," she breathed. "There were people who were _a little bit mean_, but I made honest friends."

"What are their names?" he wanted to know.

"Well," Mikan thought up, "There are Kina Midori and her cousin, Saki Yanga. Then there's Mayumi Sakurako who laughs more than anyone else I know."

He put it into memory. He didn't really need to as there was a recorder, but for the sake of it. He wanted to know about these friends of hers. "Do they teach well there?"

"I got an A+ in English," she said with a smile.

"That's great," Natsume was eyeing her proudly, and it felt… _nice_. As if she really was telling a parent about how well she did in school that day. Like she had a parent.

Except, well, Natsume was technically her fiancé.

* * *

"_**W**__ell, at least he's making conversation," _Aoi grumbled from the other line.

"Natsume's being honest with her, that's a start."

"_When's he giving the ring?"_

"Do you know just how _unoriginal _your brother is with proposing? He's doing the old propose-while-having-dessert."

"_Yuck."_

"Ah, well, it's his marriage."

"_And this is my phone bill. I need to cut off now. Tell me later, okay, Ruka?"_

"Aye-aye, captain."

**

* * *

H**otaru was torn; torn between her work and real life. Youichi Hijiri's file sat on her desk with lead scribbles around the margins. The kid was scheduled for a hearing yesterday but he went into some breakdown, so it was moved to another day. _Obstruction of justice_ was highlighted. He wanted to know what was making the five-year-old shut his trap. Kids never lie unless there was a reason, and there was something with the Hijiri kid.

She got the chance to talk to him that morning. He was coherent but didn't talk much. He was also anxious with his surroundings— he kept looking around. But what was more, the kid had marks. Marks that probably were around for quite a while, but since the Hijiri case has been for a while, she couldn't judge when. His bruises had gone as pale as his skin, and they were barely noticeable as they were in places people wouldn't normally see; under his calf, somewhere on his leg, his back and just near the temple was a tiny bruise.

She glanced at the clock. Seven o'clock. Her blasted senior partner was probably proposing to his lady by now. Her eyes automatically landed on the Takahashi files Ruka dumped on her table to proofread. It was supposedly private, but once cases are opened to discussion, they are strictly passed around the three senior partners of the firm. She guessed it was because he wanted to watch his best friend, and so she let it go.

With payment, of course.

She was stuck with all these files, and all she wanted to do was to sit beside Mikan, the one who unknowingly made her look at a brighter perspective. The girl had made her a small gift sent through the proud Hyuuga that same morning. It was a bento, with her face decorated by minced seafood and vegetables.

The fact that she had one and Hyuuga didn't made her feel very smug.

**

* * *

M**ikan will never have sweetbread ever again in her life.

Ever.

Why _the hell _would someone want to eat _pancreas_?

It was good she ordered the shrimp.

At least she knew where it came from.

Well, theoretically.

"More champagne, ma'm?"

She actually wanted to throw up.

"Uh, water?" she asked weakly.

She could see the knowing smile behind the black moustache.

"Dessert," Natsume blurted from his side of the table. "Dessert is going to be fine now."

Ruka exited the room.

"Do you need anything else?"

"Not really," Mikan mumbled.

"No, no," Natsume leaned, his face composed yet a little serious. "I mean, do you _need_ anything else? Am I not giving you enough?"

She thought. She couldn't. She shouldn't. "Well, I do have one request…"

Damn it, she did.

"What's that?" Natsume asked hurriedly. "Do you want a tutor? Are your shoes uncomfortable? What—"

"Natsume," Mikan breathed, interrupting him, "Can you try to be around more often?"

He leaned back wordlessly.

Mikan bit her lower lip and refused to look at him in the eye and so directed her gaze on the bits of greens left beside the half-eaten pancreas. "Look, I know I didn't hitch it in with the deal, but can you try, at least try? I wish you'd be the one fetching and giving me the ride. I don't want to show off, believe me— I don't want to do that. If I had a choice, I'd do this the most private way possible. But I want to feel like I'm safe. Like someone out there wants me whole and protected. And that I have someone to come home to."

"You don't think Narumi's guaranteeing you your safety enough? I'll call up an FBI agent. They'll do me a favor if I agree to do them favors."

"No, Natsume, don't. That's not what I mean." She gathered her courage and looked at him straight in the eye. "I just need someone to be around for me."

He understood.

Of course he did.

What Mikan needed was someone who can be constant for her, someone who will be around at all times. She was robbed of the chance, and he robbed it off her again by asking her to sacrifice part of her life.

Like when _he _was robbed of maternal love back as a child.

But could he promise it?

Natsume Hyuuga never made promises he can't keep. He was a true man of his words. He won't say anything he can't do. But what Mikan was asking him to do… can he do it? She only asked him to try, but he was also a man of perfection. He wanted only the best. Can he give her something he couldn't even give himself?

Can he give her his time?

"I…"

"I'm not asking you to give up your life, you know," she smiled ironically. "Just a fraction of your time."

Can he give her that? Just a fraction of his time?

"I'll try," he said finally.

Though he said so, both of them knew what it meant: _I will. _And it brought a small satisfied smile on Mikan's troubled face.

The waiter arrived then rolling a tray with a glass pitcher of cold water and two slices of cake. "Dessert," he said rather cheerfully. He winked at Natsume, who rolled his eyes. Gently, Natsume reached for the small velvet box in his pocket, containing a diamond engagement ring he had asked a man from the first floor to purchase for him. He needed to at least surprise Mikan _when _he's going to propose.

Which was right that moment.

Mikan had already eaten a small portion of her cake. "Mmmm… What is this? It's very good."

"It's cake," Natsume muttered, and drew back his chair. Ruka had already exited the room with a gallant and exaggerated bow.

"Hmm?" Mikan looked up, her mouth preoccupied. She swallowed and asked, "What's wrong?"

"But I don't dance," Mikan said apologetically when Natsume held out a hand for her.

He shrugged, "Neither do I," and wiggled his hand a little.

Mikan smiled and took it.

It was a picture-perfect moment; in the eyes of an audience, they looked like two couples enjoying their time, swaying along with the sweet cries of the violin of the stereo. But to both of them, they felt— somehow— two friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

And then Natsume knelt on one knee.

"What's the matter?" Mikan's brows furrowed. "Did you drop something?" She also bended her knees against the floor, spreading her hands around, and her pretty red dress flowed about her.

"No," Natsume said, urging her up, "Don't kneel."

Mikan was both confused and doubtful. "What's—"

Natsume took out the box.

Mikan didn't gasp; she just stared at it with a mixture of emotions that Natsume couldn't quite comprehend which was most.

"Mikan, will you…"

* * *

"**B**ut I'm willing to pay," Aoi argued over the phone. "I've told you that. I'll send over the check as soon as possible tomorrow morning."

"_Miss, I don't even have your ID…" _replied the man from the other end of the line.

Aoi sighed. "My name is Aoi Hyuuga. I'm related to Ioran and Natsume Hyuuga of Alice Law Firms, and to Kaoru Igarashi of the Igarashi Corporation. Is that enough identification for you?"

"_Miss— Igarashi?" _His voice broke. _"Why, certainly! She has recently ordered roses from us for an event she's throwing. By all means, what is it you want, Ms. Hyuuga?"_

_It's about time the family name comes useful_, Aoi thought bitterly. "I need to know who sent flowers to a Sakura over at Tokyo Hospital. Pale pink carnations and blood red roses, to be exact."

"_When was this?"_

"Tuesday last week. It's to a Sakura. I need information on who sent it to her and their contact number."

There was a sound of flipping pages on his end. After about a few moments, he spoke; "_Ah, I've got it. Carnations and roses delivered to Miki Sakura, location: Tokyo Hospital."_

"I know." Aoi tried to calm herself. "What about the name of the sender? The contact number?"

What he said next was not what Aoi expected, ever in her life.

She hit a dead end.

The man had mentioned the address and telephone number of the bungalow.

_The bungalow._

She tried another one, with a little hope. Surely, this would give her something to look for…?

"What about the sender?"

"_I… That's funny."_

A funny sound got caught on her throat. _Please, please, please, oh please…_

"_The sender's name is Mikan Sakura."_

_Oh, sweet mother of—_

* * *

"…**w**ipe that thing on your nose?"

"What?" Mikan asked dazedly and looked around. She had been so sure Natsume was going to propose to her. Sure, it was something she's seen in movies or read in books more than once before, but still, it was a _proposal. _It wasn't everyday a girl gets proposed to.

Natsume's brows were drawn together and he whipped out a handkerchief from his pocket. He gently rubbed it against Mikan's little nose.

"Do you have OCD or something?" she joked, but her eyes went forlornly to the exact place where his hand and the box was. He was going to propose— she knew that. Even though it wasn't that romantic as she had expected, it was already too much for a man like Natsume Hyuuga.

He wasn't listening. "Why is it all over your face?"

"What?" It was her favorite word of the day. Her eyes wandered to the mirrors surrounding the room and glanced at her face through the curtain cracks. Her face has gone all red and blotchy. She thought back on the last time it's gone so… probably when she was twelve and she had eaten, for a dare with Ken, a…

_Oh crap._

Realization dumped on her. Her eyes went to the cake.

The cake she liked.

Because it was sweet and...

"What's the matter?" It was now Natsume's favorite word. She couldn't even process how many he's asked in the last few moments.

…_citrusy._

It was an allergic reaction.

* * *

"**I**'m sensitive to citrus." She gave a feeble smile. "Ironic my name's Mikan, huh?"

Natsume was trying not to drive too fast to the hospital especially because it was raining. It was a difficult feat. Mikan had told him not to panic but she still needed medicine for her allergy, and if there was something Natsume Hyuuga wasn't, it was a medic. She was unconsciously reaching to scratch her face and Natsume held her hands down. "Are you entirely allergic to it? Does your face feel inflamed?"

"Not really. I mean, I can eat citrus. Just not too much."

"And apparently, a spoonful is too much."

"I guess." Mikan shrugged, and leaned against the car seat. "Can I scratch my face now?"

Natsume shook his head.

"Just _one, quick _scratch?"

He shook his head once more

"Come on, I never robbed you of that."

"You might irritate the reaction."

"It's already been irritated," she huffed, and crossed her arms. There was a moment's pause; "Just one—"

"No. We're here." He gestured at the hospital and swiftly swerved the car to park at a vacant lot. He took of his coat and braved the weather. He got out through his door and held Mikan's side, but her eyes were glued directly on the raindrops hitting hard against the glass pane. "Out of the car." Mikan didn't budge.

A little exasperated and torn between getting the ring through her finger and getting her to a doctor, Natsume cupped her face with his hand and gently scuffed her red blotches. He felt her lips twitching. "Dr. Imai's waiting," he said, drawing back his fingers.

Mikan smiled. "Can't show up with this face tomorrow or I'll end up at the bottom of the social pyramid."

He lightly flicked her nose, and she giggled.

It completely died when she frowned after taking a good look on him. "You're getting wet."

"Put on my coat," he said instead. He was about to help her down the car when his phone rang. They both looked at it for a while as it vibrated on the driver's seat. "Listen," he muttered, "The entrance's over there. Wait for me but stay inside."

Mikan sighed. "I thought bosses are the one who give away all the work?"

"Yes, but I've got many different masters. Remember, just stay there, alright?"

"Yes, Natsume," Mikan rolled her eyes, "I'm not entirely daft, you know."

"I know." Natsume shook his head, a little amused. "Get down from there; I need to take that call."

Mikan laughed and leaped off the car, whisking out his ringing phone with the black coat over her head. "Don't forget," she said softly, "you promised to give me time."

She was already walking through the rain when Natsume answered the phone call from Ruka Nogi.

"I could honestly kill you right now," he muttered.

"_I take it you haven't proposed?"_

"Don't act so smug. _You _haven't got a girlfrie—" He saw Mikan slip on the pavement and land butt first on the ground.

Quickly, he abandoned his phone. God help her when Aoi finds out…

He was running through the weather and the rain was drowning every sound. He couldn't hear anything except the nervous thoughts looming in his mind, that something might've happened to Mikan…

It came late; the car didn't see him soon, and he could barely hear the car until it was a yard away from him.

He dodged the vehicle and swerved back.

And twisted his ankle.

_Shit_.

"Natsume!" Her voice rang through the rain. She hurried to his side and leaned her worried face over his. "You're hurt?"

"I think I twisted something…" he murmured, and forced himself to sit up."Are _you _hurt?"

"No, don't stand up," Mikan said, ignoring his question though her butt hurt quite a lot. "Help's on the way."

He could barely make out the white-clad nurses making their way.

He can't miss the chance. He was no romantic but he knew a proposal in the hospital has never entered a woman's mind. And he needed to propose to her _now_. Time wasn't being easy and the press weren't friendly. They wanted the ring.

The nurses arrived. They were hefting Natsume on the lifter.

And so he acted fast; he drew out the velvet box, the same one from the restaurant, the same one with the ring he intended to be on Mikan's finger about half an hour ago. Just as is legs and torso were being strapped, he breathed out, ignoring how much of a pain his leg was in, "Marry me?"

Mikan didn't know what to think but she did have something to say: _Are you serious? _But Natsume's face was solemn and she met his with the face of weightiness. The nurses were making him drop the ring— they needed to check what else was wrong.

Finally, she laughed. The nurses knew they couldn't take him away until he got an answer, and she needed to give him one. With the bright winsome smile she frequently had on, Mikan said, "Sure."

She watched as they swept Natsume away, and she followed suit. They were entering the emergency room and she wasn't allowed inside; so instead, she turned to a nurse on the information booth and asked if there was a doctor who could tend to her allergy.

As she waited for her turn to be tended and a report on Natsume from one of the nurses, Mikan smiled to herself. Maybe she didn't get a proposal like an old American eighties movie, or maybe the holy words weren't spelled on air by a jet. But still, it was a story to tell. Now, whenever someone asks her how she was proposed to, she'd say, "Under the rain, outside the hospital, when I had an allergic reaction and he was being rolled to the emergency room."

**

* * *

I**t was going to be a civil wedding.

That was the first thing they had both agreed to while they were on the ride home. Mikan didn't want to 'break a vow' in front of a 'Higher Power', so she said she'd rather break the law. Natsume didn't mind— if he had to make Ruka take a license, he would've.

Natsume was supposed to be supported by a crutch but he refused to accept any help.

_Men and their pride_, Mikan had thought.

And so, Ruka was driving them back to the bungalow; Natsume rode shotgun. Mikan, who occupied the whole back seat, was lying horizontally. She held her hand just enough for her to see the diamond ring glinting. Sure, the proposal was just for the sake of the deal, but she had to admit, it was pretty endearing.

It was a fairy tale, save for the circumstances.

She remembered how she always addressed herself 'Princess Mikan', the stubborn little royalty who wanted everything to be about her. That is, until she was left on the orphanage, and she learned how to put others first before her. It was almost humorous, if anyone who knew her before had seen her— bratty Princess Mikan, playing on the mud with younger children and getting flour all over her hair while 'helping' with the kitchen.

It was quite ironic, really. Of all the years she spent on the orphanage with all those people, she _never _learned how to cook. She could cook rice and toss fruits for a salad, but that was about it. If the nuns had a choice, they would only allow her around plastic knives, but she learned how to mince really well, which is why all she managed to make for Hotaru Imai as a token of thanks was a bento. However, Natsume _did _mention the woman was thankful, so it made Mikan feel good. Though lacking the cooking skills, it was wonderful to make someone happy.

Just as she was.

Natsume was talking with Ruka regarding work. She couldn't believe that not too long ago, she hated Natsume, but the nuns taught her to love everyone, enemies included. Natsume was just one of those people who probably would toss you off, but has a pretty good heart. She understood it now. Natsume had granted her a chapter of a fairy tale. Maybe she wouldn't make a husband with the marriage, but she bet she'd make friends— _very good friends_.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what the ceremony would be. Would there be lots of roses? She hoped so. She loved roses. They had thorns but were pretty. In some way… it was like Natsume himself. Thorny at the outside but very pretty on the inside. Everyone had a different perspective of him, and even though she's met him for only about a week, she was sure Natsume Hyuuga didn't smile at everyone.

She fell asleep, wondering how her life suddenly got so good. Now, if only her mother was around to see her…

* * *

"**H**ave you gotten any new leads?"

They both glanced at the back seat to make sure, and when they were satisfied that Mikan was fast asleep, continued their conversation.

Ruka shook his head. "Her bank account's been wiped out, but she's got a small one started for Mikan. The last time she put money on it was October, but the address was her last apartment's." They stopped at a red light. "You?"

"Dead end. Easier to ask where I haven't turned to."

"Natsume," Ruka's voice was slow and gentle, "You don't think Yuka killed herself, did you?"

"No," he answered too quickly.

He wondered if it was because he was sure, or if he wanted it to be.

"What if she went hiking alone and got into an accident? Or had amnesia and lost her identification? There are a hundred of possibilities."

"Think real, Ruka. I just have a feeling. Look, I've got an idea. I bet there's no mother in the world who can stand to _not _be in her daughter's wedding."

"And…? Where are you going with this?"

"I'm planning to have two celebrations. A public and a private one. We'll have a private civil wedding, and then a public civil one with all the press that could fit in that garden. Don't tell her yet. The least I could give her is some privacy, but we have to find her mother too."

"I've noticed you mentioned _'have'_," Ruka tried to hide his smile but ha difficulties, "And not _'need'_. She sure has changed you, Hyuuga."

"All I can give her now is a tale with a country of an audience."

"It's at least a fairy tale, mate."

What neither of all of them in that car knew was that they were starting their _own _fairy tale.

A fairy tale of three, perhaps?

_**

* * *

Author's Note: **_I don't know when, but the next chapter will come sooner than my typical 'soon' as it is already finished. So, get set for _Chapter IX: Last Friday Night_. The song is by Katy Perry, and if you've heard of it (or haven't but planning to anyway), you've got a pretty good idea what's happening on the next.

Second, I ask for all of you, believer of a Higher Power or not, to pray for the disaster that met Japan and other parts of other countries last March 13, 2011, Friday afternoon. May the unfound be found, may the lost find their way, and may families be reunited again. My heart goes to all the victims and their relatives. Let us all continually pray for their goodness and wellbeing until all is resolved.


	9. Last Friday Night

_**Chapter IX: Last Friday Night**_

_Yeah, we danced on tabletops_

_And we took too many shots_

_Think we kissed but I forgot_

_(Katy Perry)_

* * *

**H**otaru Imai did not agree to take the photos.

She had said, "If I'm attending Natsume Hyuuga's wedding, I refuse to be a mere employee to your hands. I'd like to be sitting near the bride to easily tug the veil of her pretty hair and tell her to run off while she can."

"Your support is admirable," Natsume had barked.

"And your foolishness isn't," she had fought back.

Sumire, meanwhile, had another idea, but Natsume was still doubtful.

"Come _on_, Natsume!" Sumire cried, "I promise he won't do anything wrong."

"He's _press_," Natsume spat, "You know I don't trust the media."

"Look, he swears he won't do anything wrong. I mean, he's my boyfriend. I'll kill him if he does." Sumire added, "_And_, you're desperate. I _know _you are. Get Koko and hire him. He'll swear his allegiance to you."

"I don't fancy the idea of an ex-tabloid journalist taking pictures of the wedding." _And I _am _desperate_, he tried not to say out loud. Trusty-worthy photographers were hard to get these days. "If he's double-crossing the both of us, you better be assured that the next time you see him is on court."

"And naturally, you'll win the case," Sumire rolled her eyes.

"Naturally." Natsume said, and then gestured for the door. "Alright, send him in."

Sumire gave him a teeth-baring smile and fetched a blonde guy from behind Natsume's office door. He held the blonde's resume. He was present on the press conference when he first announced his pseudo-fiancé, the one he recognized from television. Aside from working as a frequent news reporter, he was also apparently a photographer who owned a studio.

_Kokoroyumi Yome_, it said.

"Mr. Yome," he started, but was immediately cut off.

"Just Koko's fine, sir." The blonde gave him a cheeky smile.

"Alright, Koko. You have the job, _but_," he took in before the other male can express his gratitude, "if you get one single world flawed when you continue your job as a reporter, your whole career will be a disaster and rest assured that you will never have a decent job again."

He was given another smile and Koko's eyes barely showed. "Aye, aye, sir!"

_This Koko_, Natsume told himself half an hour later when he had done conversing with the blonde for the wedding details, _is someone Mikan can easily get along with._

* * *

**M**ikan liked the wonderfully diamond-cut ring, and so did everyone else.

Everyday, she'd always see someone gazing at the pretty ring sitting on her finger. She didn't like flashing it off but it was just so pretty, even she couldn't take her eyes off it. On more than one occasion, a teacher had scolded her for staring at it during class, and she had turned beet red.

Classes were dismissed and Mikan stood behind the school gates, near the school's security guard and waited for Natsume. Since after the night he proposed, Natsume had been fetching her to and from school just as he promised. It touched Mikan that he was really making an effort. Narumi had once called her to say that Natsume might be late because he was off sealing a very important deal for a project with two big corporations, but he had arrived on time.

"Hey, Mikan!" Mayumi came up to her, dragging cousins Kina and Saki. For the past two weeks, these three people treated her like a sister. They were a happy bunch who loved attention, something that they wanted Mikan to love as well. "When are you getting married?"

Come to think of it, she's never thought of it before. All she knew was that there'd be roses, but that was just about it, because when she and Natsume discussed it over a dinner of takeouts, something came up and he had to go back to work. They were going to continue it when he arrived but she fell asleep, and it never came up again. She decided she had to ask about it later.

"I'm not sure," she said, "Maybe this month until the next. Just as long as it doesn't clash with any social events." She thought of the Hyuuga's 25th wedding anniversary. She reminded herself to think of a gift, fast. Schoolwork was starting to pile up and she didn't want to purchase a gift as a last minute resort.

Mayumi shared a knowing smile with Kina and Saki. "So technically, you won't be committing a _sin_, because you're technically not committed yet."

"Where are we going with this?" Mikan frowned. She knew Mayumi long enough to realize that her introductions only came up when she wanted to do something big. Or stupid. Mostly just big and stupid.

"Are you going somewhere now?" Saki asked instead.

"The firm. I always go there after school."

"Would you like to go out tonight?"

Mikan blinked. She didn't expect it. Alright, so she _knew _it would've come up somehow, but the fact that Mayumi had mentioned 'committing a sin' made her a little nervous. "Uh…" She thought of it. Should she go or shouldn't she? Especially since none of her friends were narrating anything yet.

Natsume's car came into sight and stopped right in front of the school gates. He always does that, so she wouldn't have to go too far or cross the street. One of the things she liked about Natsume was that he was always concerned about her safety. He stepped down the car, his face a little worn-out but still every inch of a perfect man— minus the loose tie and unbuttoned cuffs, that is.

"Good afternoon," he greeted her and clutched her school things, and nodded to her friends. He had done research on them and they had a clean record and satisfactory grades. He wanted Mikan to be around people who will be good influences to her, so she'd be able to work well comes college. "Ready to go?"

"Actually," put in Mayumi, "we were wondering if Mikan may go out with us tonight."

His answer was immediate. "It depends where."

"Oh, you know, just the typical teenager night outs," she shrugged offhandedly.

He's had years and years of experience— he knew the 'typical teenager night outs'. "Where?"

"A party my sister's setting up at our house."

He didn't ask where they lived— he already knew. Natsume glanced at Mikan, as if asking, _Do you want to go? _Her big brown eyes blinked twice, staring wide up at him, _You're the boss._

"Alright," he finally said. "But she has a curfew."

Mikan scowled.

"What?" Natsume asked her, as if it was unquestionable.

Kina piped, "We'll be back before morning."

It wasn't the type of curfew he had in mind, but it was a Friday, and it was a lot of times better than Mikan lying to him and staggering at the door at three AM.

"So," Saki asked, "We'll see you later?"

"I'll drop her at your house," Natsume said, and on a spur of acting like a concerned parent, queried, "Will there be chaperones?"

Mayumi just laughed, always the bold one. Natsume knew it meant a good, solid _no_. "We'll see you later, Mikan."

"Bye," she waved back, getting on the passenger seat. "Are you sure it's alright for me to go?" She asked Natsume when they drove off.

"You earned it," he said, and then gestured at the books he had taken from her earlier. "Homework piled up?"

"Not really," she said, patting the books. "Just wanted to do some reading."

"May you be disturbed?"

"I may," Mikan grinned. Just a few nights ago, he had lectured her on the use of 'can' and 'may'. "Do you have anything in mind?"

"I've found us a photographer."

"A photographer?" Mikan blinked. "What for? A portrait?"

"Somehow," he shrugged. "It's for the wedding."

"The wedding? Oh. _Oh_. The wedding!" She giggled. "Can I— sorry— may I help out with the wedding?"

"I've left all those to your care. You'll be meeting with mother's event committee on Monday, before the party. They will be the one to help you with the preparations."

"You'll really let me?" Mikan's eyes twinkled. She wanted this— planning a day for her, in a beautiful gown and surrounded by the prettiest roses and happy people.

"Don't you want to?"

"Of course I do!" Her smile was so glad, Natsume have never felt so good the whole day. It was as if the only person who can help him unwind from even the most difficult things is this young eighteen-year-old. "You know, I could hug you right now, but we might end up at the hospital again."

Natsume shook his head, and finally pulled out in front of Alice Law Firms.

This was where she was on afternoons these days. Since Natsume's barely done with work by the time school her school is dismissed, she comes with him back at the firm. This is when and where she does most of her homework or school projects on Natsume's office and on her new laptop— a gift from the three senior partners when she aced her monthly examinations— which Natsume brought with him everyday to work.

"We'll go home at six," Natsume said, tossing the keys to his driver. "And I was serious about your curfew."

"Yes, father," Mikan rolled her eyes, but laughed. "Come on, Natsume. Don't you trust me?"

* * *

**M**ikan has been around for over an hour, and there was still another one before she can go home and change for the party.

"Hey, Mr. Narumi," Mikan yawned, "I'm bored. I'll go around for a while, okay?"

"Sure," Narumi smiled from his side of the room, "I'll tell Natsume."

It wasn't the first time she had done so. Sometimes, Natsume's working hours would take longer than six, but with her around, he never took anything that will take longer than seven. Eight until eleven, it was usually with Mikan. He'd sometimes have work over but only engages on it when Mikan is preoccupied.

Everyone in the firm knew her already. They didn't call her 'the boss' wife' or 'Hyuuga's fiancé'. To them, she was independent Mikan Sakura, with that big smile gracing every floor, cubicle, room and office like a supervisor. She had learned a few things from them. She even delivered coffee to a whole briefing room once. To the people at Alice Law Firms, she was her own person. She wasn't a part of someone. She had her own life.

That was why, as she waited for the elevator to come up, everyone passing by had said their greetings or nodded to her. She had her back turned against the door, so when the elevator _ping_ed, she turned around so fast and hadn't been able to react swiftly when she bounded against a tower of files.

"Oh, crap," she muttered, bounding to the floor to help assist the files. "I'm sorry," she apologized, and then handed them to the hands of Ruka. "Ruka!" she gasped. "Good grief, I thought it was somebody else!"

"Wouldn't you have apologized if it was someone else?" Ruka grinned, accepting the files.

"Of course I would've!" Mikan blushed. "But it would've been embarrassing as I haven't acquainted with them well. Here, let me help you." She hefted some of them and followed suit to his office.

Ruka's office, unlike Natsume's, had no giant portraits or canvases of paintings. Instead, they were of his certificates and achievements. They were many of them— from his young years in elementary of quiz bees to present days of cases he's won that earned him a great praise.

Noticing her looking around, Ruka smiled. "Different from Natsume's, huh? I need all the reference I can get. After all, my lineage doesn't back me up the way his does."

"You've been working hard all your life," Mikan said instead. "Why?"

"Because I want to be here."

"I find it hard to believe that." Mikan snorted.

"Oh?" Ruka had to smother a chuckle. "How come?"

"Because this law business is too serious. It's so… _by the book_. Like you're a puppet of the giant judge who tells you what to do with everything." She turned to him and asked, "Don't you find that boring?"

"Perhaps," he admitted. "Usually, I do."

"Then why don't you give it up?"

"I can't give it up, Mikan. You know that."

"No, tell me," she insisted. "I've seen your schedule this afternoon. All you've got to do is sort those files by branch, hand it in by floor and you're going home. I've got an hour. We've got time."

Ruka laughed. This was an unbelievable girl in front of him. She remembered the first time he asked her for brunch. He asked her out because it was a habit. He used to do it for Natsume in high school, to test him. It has gotten quite a frequency to both of them but it didn't become a chore. Ruka wanted to know if Natsume has gone serious for someone, but that day, he's gotten preoccupied by the young girl. It was fun talking to Mikan Sakura, as if conversing with a young soul. Like she was urging you to look in another perspective, because that's how she sees it: in a way not everyone can.

"If I give up my position, Natsume will have no choice but take it. If he takes his role in the firm, no one will be able to take his mother's. Aoi isn't ready yet. She hasn't even changed her surname to Igarashi yet. That's why I have to do my duties. I have to commit to them."

"Don't you find it unfair?" Mikan asked. "That you have to sacrifice your own happiness for someone else?"

"Natsume's my best friend, and the Hyuuga's have always been supportive of my family."

"I know that," Mikan said. "But you're not living your life. I think you deserve more than you give yourself credit for."

Ruka laughed. "Thanks."

Mikan smiled. It was in these two weeks that she told herself she had to act normal around Ruka, since she often looked as if she was going to crumble down his feet every time they meet! She didn't find it difficult. He was just so easy to talk to. He opened up about things the other wanted to talk about, and that was what was good about him. He liked getting involved.

"How about school?" Ruka asked. He also liked others getting involved with the conversation. He didn't like the attention on him alone.

Mikan frowned. "I've got a little problem. Everyone else in class already has a part-time job and I don't. It's apparently a requirement for graduating in my school, like proving your independency. I brought it up with Natsume but he doesn't want me working. He said he'd cheat on the forms, but I don't want that. I've been with my counselor all week but we still haven't found a job for me. Almost all cafes and restaurants around here have been taken and they can't afford to hire another one."

Ruka thought for a moment. "I've got something for you. It's got a pretty nice pay, but you can only work on weekends if you want. It's not heavy work."

"I don't really care about the pay. I just want to graduate and shove my independency down the school boards' throats," she laughed.

* * *

"**I **don't really know what to wear for a party." Mikan mumbled, blushing under Natsume's gaze from the driver's seat. He's been waiting for her in the car for the last five minutes while she got ready, and when she walked out of the house in jeans and a tank, he wondered why this particular female didn't take longer than expected (which was actually half an hour).

Natsume shook his head amusedly. For someone who can have so much wisdom, she was indeed clueless. "No, it's fine." He wouldn't have his sister prancing around in those mini-skirts from teen magazines, let alone his 'wife'. He wondered if it was a smart idea to let Sumire take charge of Mikan's clothing necessities. The woman would prance around in a swim suit during winter if Paris screamed it's 'in'. He silently prayed that the woman wouldn't get in Mikan's head, and by the look of Mikan's jeans and blouse, he knew she was still on safe ground from the cousin.

Mikan scrambled in her seat and felt for her phone. She didn't want to chore herself with tagging a bag along, so she shoved her phone inside her pocket. "You do know where Mayumi's house is, right?"

Natsume spared her a glance as if to say, "What else do you think?"

"Right," Mikan mumbled. "Are you picking me up?"

"If you call me before eleven, I assume so. But if by then you are drunk, that means your friends will be responsible of you and if you do not come back at the bungalow in one piece, they better go to hiding in Croatia."

Mikan laughed. "It's amazing you have such trust on me, whom you swore to throw to jail just about a month ago."

Natsume immediately sobered up. "I terribly apologize about that."

"You're not forgiven," Mikan drew out her tongue. "You know, it's bad judging people."

"U-huh."

"Appearances are not always what they seem."

"U-huh."

"For example, you thought I was a delinquent stealing your sister's car."

"U-huh."

See, I'm actually a sweet young lady."

"U-huh."

Mikan scowled. "You're judging me again!" she accused.

"What?" Natsume asked unbelievingly. "Of course I haven't!"

"Yes, you are! You're thinking, 'she is so talkative'."

"Which, in fact you are."

"I'm not!" She noticed his dry look so she hurried, "Alright, maybe I _am _a little, but at least I try to make conversation. You, on the other hand, don't even try."

"Because my life is uneventful."

"You only think it is because you don't bother to look at the bigger picture of everything."

"Alright, then." Natsume nodded, wondering how someone of young age can bear much wisdom. "Enlighten me. What is the bigger picture of my everyday work?"

"Well…" Mikan thought, "Umm… The paintings in your office. Do you ever wonder when and where it was painted?"

"I don't need to wonder," he said. "I was around when it was painted."

"Then you tell me the story."

Natsume was about to, when a thought hit him. "This isn't a brighter picture."

Mikan blinked a couple of times. "Yeah, but it's making you talk, so whatever. Now come _on_, Natsume, we're almost at Mayumi's!" she pointed a wagging finger at the GPS.

* * *

"**W**hat are you wearing?" were Mayumi, Kina and Saki's first words when Natsume drove off and Mikan had entered the house.

"What do you mean, what I'm wearing? What are _you _guys wearing?" She gestured at their clothing, all ending more than eight inches above knee. "Where is everybody?"

"What?" Mayumi asked, confused.

"I thought you said your sister's having a party?"

They laughed.

"What?" Mikan frowned. "What's the joke?"

"The joke is on you," Mayumi said, and then grabbed her hand up to the stairs. "Come on, you can't wear that to the club."

"Club? What club?" She was shoved into a rather big closet with what felt like spare cloth. "And why do I want these scraps?"

"Those are clothes, Mikan. You kind of put them over your head and on your body and the other one through your legs up to your waist."

"I know what they are," Mikan's muffled voice came, and later went out of the closet naked. Somehow literally. "Mayumi, are you _sure _these are yours?"

"Of course they are, and they fit well in you, too."

"But I don't want to wear these." Mikan cried, covering her chest. Mayumi's tank was all lace that she bet it was sold in a lingerie shop, and the satin shorts, though admittedly very pretty, ended too soon barely halfway to her thighs.

"Yes, but we can't always get what we want, princess." She quickly dabbed make-up all over Mikan's innocent-looking face (if Sumire finds out, Mikan would be in for so much hell!) and then produces a thin necklace string from one of the drawers.

"Wait, what's that?" Mikan asked swiftly when Mayumi started approaching her.

"It's a chain. You need to put your ring on it or else no one will take notice of you."

"But I don't want anyone to take notice of me."

Mayumi rolled her eyes and grabbed Mikan lightly by the shoulders, looking at her straight in the eye. "Look at it this way. It's your _bridal party_. Men have stag nights; we'll have something equally wild."

She wondered if Natsume knew that this was the equivalent of 'typical teenage night-outs'.

* * *

**M**ikan was drunk.

"…so I told 'im, I told 'im… I'll come back for ya! An' cross'd m' fing'rs b'hind m' back! 'en 'e let m' go!" She croaked and accepted another glass from the guy she had met not too long ago, the seventh man she had told her story about that night.

"He was dumb to let you go," he growled on her ear.

"Still waitin', th' poor guy!" she sighed. "Been wha', 'bou' a month now? Yeah, 'bou' a month."

"And where do you live now?" he asked. Lightly, his eyes trailed on her knees.

"Ah… can' tell you tha'!"

"Why not?"

"Be—_hiccup—_cause, 've got no house!"

"Then stay with me."

"But I already live wit' some'n else."

"Oh?"

"Yep!" Her cheeks were turning red from both heat and intoxication. "M' fianc—_hiccup—_é! 'e's fetchin' m' tonigh'! 'cept, 'e don't know 'm 'ere, so you be quiet a'ight? Shhhh!"

"Mum's the word," the man said, pressing her fingers to her lips. "So who is this man of yours? Anyone I know?"

"Maybe!" she giggled in her drunken state. "He's tall… dark… and handsome!" She sighed dreamily. "Oh, and red eyes!"

"Red eyes?" the man was taken aback. "He's sick?"

"What? Noooooo! He's got... those… those art'ficial eyes…"

"Artificial eyes?"

"What? Noooooo!"

Apparently, Mikan was still an oddball when drunk.

"Those—_hiccup—_cameras you put 'n you' eyes? The teeny tiny itty bitty teensy weensy…"

"Contact lens?"

"Yeah! 'tact lens! You're—_hiccup—_so smart, I could kiss you!"

"Why don't you?"

"Cause!"

"Cost?" He repeated confusedly. "There's a payment?"

"What? Noooooo! Beeeeee—_hiccup—_cause!" She then laughed outright. "'ve got an 'usband!"

"But he's not here, is he?"

She thought of this for a moment. "Nooooo…"

"And I won't tell him if you don't want to, will I?"

"Nooooo…"

"Therefore, it is alright to kiss me."

"But I don't want to kiss a frog!" Mikan giggled, and then hefted herself on the table and swayed with the music, knocking down the glasses and bottles which the guy was later able to save. "I want to kiss my prince only!"

* * *

"**M**ikan's not home?" Ruka asked. They were assembled in the bungalow, the three partners, to discuss about the Takaheshi-Hatsuni case.

"Out with a few friends," he said. "Where's Imai?"

"She said she's going to buy food, but informed me that if we don't eat seafood, we should go order for our own." Ruka rolled his eyes. "What do you say about Hatsuni?"

"We both want to win the case. Takaheshi?"

"Same." They eyed each other for a moment. "It's a tough battle, buddy."

"I know. Either one of them is lying or both of them are telling the truth, which we both know is impossible."

"It's hard to say about my client. He can easily pay his people with money and they'll flawlessly deliver an alibi to save him."

"And mine can easily have sex with men to have them and their wives to lie." Natsume spat heartlessly. "I don't know who to stick with anymore."

"Yes, well, if anyone's a good judge of character, it's Imai. What'd she say about the case?"

"She declared both of them to be lying."

"Oh, really?"

"You know what, Ruka?" Natsume sighed and popped open a can of beer. "I don't really think she's got a stand. The woman hated Hatsuni from the start, and she damn well wouldn't be trusting, let alone side, with a wealthy man in this case."

* * *

**A **reporter was having a field day all on his own.

"Forget the actress!" He snapped at the one manning the video. "We've got some real juice here. Who cares if that drunken boob slips and rips her pants? It's Hyuuga's fiancée, see? That's her over there, the one on the table."

"If the boss asks, I'm not to be blamed," the cameraman muttered. "Are you sure that's her? She's got those brown hairs and eyes everyone has."

"Positive. I covered the press conference, the proposal and her first week in school. This isn't even coincidence, baby, it's _fate_. We are going to get promoted!"

"Alright," the cameraman rolled his eyes and directed the lens to Mikan's direction as she danced atop a table with three flutes on hand. "Rolling."

* * *

**M**ikan squealed and laughed, and her voice echoed with the music. She couldn't remember the man's name, and she barely heard it anyway, with the DJ's music blaring so loud. But she was having fun— the wildest she had for the first time! There were no nuns scolding her on being a lady, and certainly no posh goody-two-shoes telling her how to dance like a stiff board by putting one foot front and back! It was just her, on a table that thank goodness could carry her having the best fun she's had. This was how she was supposed to be living her life, if things didn't get so frigged up from the start!

"Hey!" the handsome guy from below hollered over the music. He gestured at the back door exit. "Getting stuffy. Want some air?"

She hiccups, a little dizzier now, and screams affirmative. She just felt so free, it was like having wings. She jumped off the table and in drunken bliss, planted a chaste yet intoxicate peck on the guy's foul mouth that reeked of alcohol.

* * *

"**W**here's Mikan?" Kina muttered, looking around the corner they've forced Mikan to. "She's not there…"

Mayumi swore and stood up after dunking the remnants of the goblet. "Hyuuga's going to kill us _with his bare hands_, I tell you."

"You shoved her in with the guy!"

"So she wouldn't acquaint herself with another!" Mayumi explained. "Alright, we'll split. Anyone who finds her first will go to the DJ. Where's Saki? Saki?" She eyed Kina's cousin and slapped her to consciousness. "Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty. We've got a princess to save."

* * *

"**W**ild club," Hotaru nodded at the loud building beside the convenience store. It was the fifth one she's stopped to, and thank goodness they had ready-to-eat ramen.

"Friday," the cashier shook his head. "Typical teenagers. Think they can handle everything, and then suddenly come dashing here for a pregnancy test and some aspirin. They don't know what they're doing. Hell, they're not even ready for it." He was counting coins for Hotaru's change when the bell tinkled and a pair of highly inebriated teenagers laughed boisterously their way in. "Don't look now, but that girl? She's been in the news. I tell you, that ain't good for her image. She hanging out with a guy like that and _poof! _He vanishes and she weeps because he's left her a litter."

Hotaru wasn't really interested whoever the girl was, especially a drunkard teenager, but respect's gotten the best of her and she turns half-heartedly. Just as she realized who it was, the cashier was saying, "What's her name? Saki Miya. No, not that. Something about a flower and a fruit. Sakura, I think. Sakura Mikan."

It did not take Hotaru long enough to march right on the unknown male species and produce a gun.

"Shit," he breathed, and held his hands up. "Look, woman, I'm innocent. I've been in the club all night and—"

"Oh, goddamn you are," Hotaru muttered and then cocked the weapon directed to his forehead. "Release the girl."

"What? No! She's with me!"

"And she is in _my _custody. Do you even _know _who she is?" She noticed Mikan's state and could not resist look at her in distaste. She definitely didn't look like herself, in a pair of clothes that was probably bought off a baby hooker's. "Do you even know who _you _are?"

"Sakura Mikan," piped the cashier, though his voice was quivering.

Hotaru resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "_Yes_. Sakura Mikan. And do you know who she's engaged to?" She doubted he did, but it was obvious to both of them that she meant trouble to him, and immediately dashed out of the store. "Yeah, run while you can, you insufferable twat! And you," she turned towards the cashier, who lightly shoved the packed ramen on the counter, "Speak of this to no one."

Before she left the store with bowls of hot ramen and a drunken teenager, she left a big tip.

"Hotaru!" Mikan screamed gleefully. "You've got a gun?" She managed to ask as Hotaru strapped her on the back seat. She wouldn't have her vomiting near her, if anything happens.

"It's legal," she answered curtly.

* * *

"**I**'m not telling." Saki declared.

"Neither am I," Kina mumbled.

Mayumi looked at the both of them in disbelief. "Oh, whatever, we'll all end up in Timbuktu anyway." She grabbed the phone and dialed the number Natsume left them with. "Hi, this is Sakurako Mayumi… Yes, Mikan's friend from school… Actually, that's what I'm calling you about…"

* * *

"**S**hit," Narumi cursed.

"_Look, we're _really _sorry. I swore she was alright but then it looks like she's still too innocent for her own good…"_

"Yes, yes, I understand," Narumi muttered irately. Teenagers these days can be so careless. He quickly swerved to the left and stepped on it faster. He was to meet the senior partners over at the bungalow with a stack of files regarding the current big case.

"_Should… uh, should we get a lawyer or something?"_

"Yes, you should," he said. God help these youngsters. "In the meantime, you try and search for her. I'm sending the police over. How can you lose someone at your own _house_?"

"_Yeah, about that… We're not exactly at my house…"_

"What?" He almost crashed on a tree, thank God for fast reflexes. "Then where on earth are you?"

"_The club downtown."_

"So help me God if you don't tell me exactly where you are!"

"_Well, uh… X__3__?"_

"You're in _what_? That place is for overage!"

"_Well, I kind of have connections… and we're all above eighteen, for your information!"_

"That doesn't make you adults," he said dryly. "The only connections you kids are supposed to have are to your psychologists, not to perverts owning clubs restricted to the under-aged. No wonder Mikan's been swiped. You better go find yourself a lawyer now, sweetheart, and make sure he's a good one. You're going to need him."

* * *

"**W**here's Hyuuga?" Hotaru asked in a low voice when Ruka opened the door for her, a beer halfway to his mouth.

He gestured inside. "Shower."

"Since when?"

"About five minutes. What's it to you?"

"Drop the alcohol, Nogi, and come with me."

A little bemused, Nogi set down the bottle on a side table on the foyer. "What, did you get too much food?"

"Oh, just a little surprise His Royal Haughtiness isn't allowed to see." She opened the back door of her car. "Care to give the girl a lift?"

"What happened to her?" Nogi asked, immediately aiding to the sleeping teenager. "She vaguely reeks of alcohol."

"So do you," Hotaru pointed out. Then she sprayed Mikan with some perfume.

"Yes," he rolled his eyes, "But I can handle it well. She obviously can't."

"Just haul her in her room before Hyuuga sees her. I don't think he's expecting her drunk."

"No, I didn't think so either." Hotaru opened the door to Mikan's room and he lightly let her fall on the sheets. "Now, what?"

"Now you get out of the room unless you want to see her being stripped naked." There was a wicked smile on Hotaru's lips. "Wouldn't that make your night?"

Ruka didn't blush in embarrassment, which was quite unnatural as he always acted so pure. He merely raised his eyebrows and said, "Yeah, whatever. Go play nanny, Imai."

"Not a word to Hyuuga."

"Yes, ma'm."

* * *

"**M**ikan's home?" Natsume asked, leaning across the hall to see the faint light of the lamp from Mikan's room.

"She arrived just when you got in the shower," Imai fibbed smoothly. "She claimed she was tired and she'd bug you in the morning."

"Who brought her in?"

"Mayumi." Ruka answered, vaguely remembering Mikan mentioning a friend by that time.

"Ah," Natsume nodded. "Now about the case…"

"Natsume!" Narumi suddenly burst through the door, dragging the key in. "I've something to tell you. Mikan is—"

"_In her room_," Imai said, and Narumi's eyes narrowed.

"What?"

"_Mikan is in her room, sleeping_." There was no emphasis placed on her words, but there was on the certain glare she gave him. "So whatever you wish to tell her needs to wait until tomorrow."

"But…"

"It can wait tomorrow, Narumi," Natsume sighed. "But if you think it's so important, you can leave her a note on her bedside."

"But…"

"She just arrived, Narumi," Natsume rolled his eyes, "Don't make it hard for her, she just had her first night out."

"Yes, but…"

Noticing that Narumi, for some reason, probably found out about Mikan's exemplary 'wild night out', and he didn't believe she was back, Ruka shook his head. "Let him be, Natsume. Go on to her room. But I'm warning you, a woman woken up at the middle of a beauty sleep is not a pretty sight." His eyes landed on Imai as he said it, who merely raised her eyebrows in reply.

When Narumi got back, he was looking a little off. "She got to you, didn't she?" Ruka joked uneasily.

"What? Oh. Yes…"

Imai sighed, took out her phone, and discreetly sent a text message of explanation to Narumi's phone.

* * *

"**O**h crap." Mikan muttered to herself, and was suddenly surprised when there was a reply;

"Yes, shit is actually an understatement to your situation last night."

"Hotaru? What are you doing here?" Some parts of last night hazily came into memory. "Crap, you've got a gun!"

"I did." Hotaru said simply, and sipped on her coffee. "Last night. I've put down my guard when I sent you here. That is, if you don't jump on me like you did on that guy."

Mikan blushed. "I didn't mean that."

"Yes, you did. You were drunk. Trust me to remind that moment every time you decide to get yourself smashed."

"Did you stay overnight?"

"We were working on a case. We've finished about thirty minutes ago."

"Thirty minutes ago? What time is it?" She tried to reach for her digital clock on her bedside, but Hotaru stopped her.

"Don't, you might drop it. It's fifteen before six. I just wanted to inform you that you need to be out this room before it strikes seven."

"Oh crap."

Not even a nasty hangover can stop her from her first day of work.

* * *

**N**atsume gave her an odd look. Mikan was wearing a collared blouse and a pair of black slacks. "You look like you're going to teach a class."

"I'm going to work." Mikan replied with a cheeky smile. Before Hotaru left, she had given her a couple of tablets and an easily chewable breakfast for the hangover.

"What?" Natsume asked, not getting up from the couch. "You can't go to work. You don't even have one."

"Of course I do. Now come on, I'm going to be late, and so are you." She reached for his arm and dragged him out of the room, locking the door and heading for the car.

"We've talked about this," he said, but heading for the car anyway. It was getting late. "I said you're not allowed to work."

"Then how do you expect me to pay off my part of my bank account if I don't have a job?"

"I'll give you an allowance."

"But technically, the money still comes from you. That can't happen."

"And, pray tell, who would hire you?" They were already inside the car but Natsume didn't start the engine. He wanted to hear more about this job of hers.

"Ruka."

* * *

**M**ikan still had a slight headache, but she didn't want Natsume to know because he'd probably get mad she got drunk. She never wanted to get drunk again. It wasn't as good as other people claimed it to be.

When Narumi met with them, he handed both Natsume and Mikan cups of warm coffee and a little tablet to the latter. "Good morning."

"Not likely," Mikan muttered, which made Narumi smile wryly.

And as per usual, just as the elevator doors were advancing close, the first floor employee stopped them. Only, this time, he handed Natsume first a tabloid newspaper and beckoned him out without acknowledging the other two's presence, which she found a little weird. She and the employee who she never got to get the name shared a few smiles and light conversations every now and then.

Natsume was talking on his phone, so he gestured for Narumi and Mikan to go on.

The elevators door closed, and Narumi turned to Mikan. "You caused your friends quite a worry."

"I haven't talked to them yet."

"I handled that. Your friend— Mayumi?— she was on the verge of finding a lawyer."

Mikan laughed. "Yes, well, she _did _force me on that club. Thanks for covering up for me, by the way."

"We all went through that phase. Although, I have to remind you not to do it again. It's quite dangerous."

"I'm sorry," Mikan muttered. "I thought it was just harmless fun."

"If that's your friends' idea of 'harmless fun', then I think you're better off in home-schooling until college. I apologize for my rudeness but that's just not something you should be doing."

"It's the last, I promise."

They got off their floor and proceeded to Natsume's office. She wanted to get a couple of her stuffs from a cabinet Natsume had up for her. Narumi excused himself to attend to a few matters. Just as she was opening the door with a pad and a pen, Natsume burst in the room so quickly, with a rage in his eyes Mikan had never seen before. Mikan had fallen on the floor in surprise and was gathering herself when Natsume slapped a copy of that day's tabloid on her.

"What—?"

"_What the hell is that, Mikan?"_

Mikan was drawn speechless; it was not only his fierce eyes that caused her so, but the tone he used. It wasn't something he had used before, not even when he was arguing with someone during court or a meeting. It gave her unnatural chills.

She reached for the newspaper and saw her own drunken self dancing on a table, accompanied by one kissing a guy she couldn't remember. Beside it was a headline. _Hyuuga's Not-So-Innocent Fiancée._

The thing about having the man of the house hating media meant you'd be the last to know the news. Especially if it's about you.

"I— I— I can explain…" her voice trailed when she saw his expression.

"Where were you last night?"

"I _was _over at Mayumi's!" She defended herself, that she didn't entirely deceive him. "I didn't know we were going to the club until later."

"Do you know how difficult that is for me to believe?"

"But I didn't know!" Mikan argued a little too loud, heated that he couldn't see her point. "I only knew it was a party!"

"Yes, and what a wild party it was," Natsume retorted sarcastically.

"It was my first time handling that kind of liquor! I didn't know I was going to end up staggering like a blind duck on its legs!"

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have gotten yourself in that situation!"

"How was I even supposed to know the press was going to wobble in?"

"They were after an actress, but lo and behold, they got you."

"What, a brainless reckless fiancée for a bright lawyer?" She had grown tired and irate, a mixture of the hangover and his inability to understand her. "Yes, it's a big mistake the lawyer chose such a girl who barely knows how to handle her alcohol!"

Mikan couldn't help but let the tears fall. She sat there on the floor, feeling like a sore dejected loser. She had done it. She had failed him. She was barely in for a month and already she had become a big disappointment!

"Really," Mikan sighed through her tears, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I thought it was going to be harmless… Didn't turn out so, huh?" She laughed bitterly. "Look, I understand if you want to… whatever, bye."

And she stood up, brushed dirt off her bottoms and silently walked past Natsume and out the door, heading for the stairs instead of the elevators.

Just as she had ran down the stairs, Ruka opened the door; "What the hell was the bickering about?" He looked around the room. "Damn it, Natsume, were you talking to a client? I've already told you about managing your anger, didn't I? Ah, crap. You're in deep shit, man, I—"

Natsume showed him the tabloid.

"Oh, wow. You really are in deep shit." He eyed around curiously. "Mikan was here, wasn't she? Did she tell you about the job?" When Natsume didn't say anything, Ruka's eyes widened in realization. "You were arguing with her." It was a statement, not a question.

Natsume eyed him acerbically. "She danced on tabletops, took too many shots and kissed another man. It's all in here, Ruka."

Ruka shook his head. "You're not mad at her, are you?"

"She lied."

"You did, too, when you were her age." Hotaru entered the room with a similar copy of the tabloid. She threw the newspaper on Natsume. "Why don't you go and fix this problem, hmm?"

"We have a meeting in three minutes."

"Well, horseshit. If that meeting's much more important than the girl, then I don't think you have the heart she claimed you to have. Come, Nogi. We have a meeting to attend." She pointed at Natsume before she exited with Ruka towing behind. "You fix this, Hyuuga. Or else you'll have to sleep with one eye open."

* * *

_**Author's Note**__: _Next is _Chapter X: Marry You_ (Bruno Mars). Which will probably leave you hanging on your seats. So, will they or will they _not _get married? ;) If they will, how will they get to be in good terms again? And if they won't, will they ever be on good terms?

Ah yes, I don't know if I've mentioned, but I'm a little fickle with happy endings. :D

Correction! I didn't get the chance to change it, and I'm sorry that I've got it wrong. The earthquake+tsunami in Japan happened on March 11th, and not 13th. I accidentally got the date wrong. And by the way, "Banzai, Japan, I knew you could do it." :)


	10. Marry You

_**Chapter X: Marry You**_

_It's a beautiful night_

_We're looking for something dumb to do_

_Hey, baby, I think I wanna marry you._

_Is it the look in your eyes?_

_Or is it this dancing juice?_

_Who cares, baby? I think I wanna marry you._

_(Bruno Mars)_

* * *

**O**ne of the things Hyuuga Natsume was known for was his pride.

And one of the things Sakura Mikan was known for was her ability to act like she was alright even if she wasn't.

_Don't ever lie_, the nuns once told her, when she argued that she was not missing her mother that much, some weeks after she was first left on the orphanage. _Even if it's about your feelings— especially if it's about your feelings._

But she wasn't a kid anymore.

That 12th of February, Natsume did not approach her. Actually, he was in work until Monday dawn, and he only came back to get a few hours' sleep, take a bath and drop her to school before heading to work. There was never a conversation sparked between them during the whole ride. Mayumi, Kina and Saki profusely apologized when they got to school, which he merely nodded to. And when he fetched her that afternoon, he wordlessly drove her to the Hyuuga mansion.

"Natsume, Mikan," Kaoru greeted them on the front door, which was rare. "I'm glad you were able to come. I see you've just gotten home from school, Mikan. How is it?"

"I've been learning a lot, mother," Mikan smiled.

"I'm sure you are." She gestured at the car whose engine was not turned off. "You're not staying, Natsume?"

"I still have work to do," Natsume said curtly. "I'll come back for her by seven. She'd still have to do her schoolwork."

"I would have guessed so. Maybe you'd like to eat supper with us around six?"

"Thank you, but no."

His lips barely even touched her skin when he kissed her on the forehead goodbye.

"Well, I see you're having problems with him," Kaoru said as soon as Natsume's car drove out of sight. "Come inside and we'll have tea while we wait for the committee."

* * *

"**Y**ou arrogant asshole."

"Nice to see you too, Aoi." Natsume rolled his eyes. "I can't tend to you now. I have another briefing."

Aoi stalked after him to the stairs for the third floor. "You are so egotistical; you think every damn thing is about you!"

"You see, sister, it kind of is. This is 'Hyuuga' we're talking about."

"I'm not saying what she did was right, because what she did was totally fucked up, but you shouldn't have fucked it up even more!"

"I am _this _close to depriving you of any source of entertainment with all the things you learned in the media."

"Right, Natsume, blame it on the television! Blame it on the internet! Because it's their entire fault! Your fucked up life is their fault! Even your engagement is their fault!"

"Which _is_."

"You're just letting your damn pride get in the way, that's the one at fault!"

"My 'damn pride' made an appearance after her faults."

"She's _destroyed_, Natsume! She called me up last Saturday, crying because you wouldn't listen. She's broken up and she's barely in Tokyo for a month. Do you know how weak she's feeling right now?"

They stopped in front of a room; Natsume eyed his sister exasperatedly. Aoi shook her head and sighed. "Don't worry, I'm just giving you the lecture. But if she comes back to that orphanage without a mom and even more heartbroken than she already is, then God bless you because your conscience will be haunting you every waking moment of your life."

* * *

**M**ikan had a knack comparing dyes and choosing palettes. For the color scheme, she had taken shades of cream to pale yellow. She didn't want red— "I don't want it clashing with the roses" — or green— "I don't think I'd enjoy looking like an asparagus on my wedding" — or blue — "The day should be celebratory, not awfully calm" — or the typical shade of pink — "Don't even think about it!" It was one way of getting rid of the troubling in her mind.

The committee was a kind joyful bunch of people. They complimented her and the designer made her twirl around while he thought of a gown design for the wedding proper and another number for the celebrations after. They also brought in all these flowers and Mikan thought her nose would stop working, just smelling each kind blossoming around her.

When it was time for dinner, only she and Kaoru made it; Ioran was already fast asleep.

"Did you like the committee?" she asked over a bowl of warm soup.

"Oh, yes!" Mikan exclaimed, a bright smile on her lips. "They're such a happy group. I think I'd like to work for them all the time."

"Yes, they do have so much of you." She quieted for a while; "I am sorry about my stubborn son."

"It's nothing, mother," Mikan's voice turned queasy, her full attention on her own bowl of steaming garnished liquid. "It is admittedly my fault. I shouldn't have lied to him." She sighed. "I guess the wedding will just be a cluster of pretty flowers and fancy dresses."

* * *

"**I **got a _what_?"

Narumi smiled as Mikan glared up at him from her desk. She had just written down Ruka's final schedules for the next fourteen days. "A one-week leave from school."

"But— but—" she stammered, then gestured at her desk. "I've got a workload of things to do and retype!"

Narumi cut to her; "I'll do it. You'll need to get ready tonight. You leave first thing tomorrow at four in the morning."

"But where—?"

"Ah," Narumi nodded. "That is a little bit of secret."

She sighed, and then realized something. "Wait, you said _I_'m leaving first thing tomorrow…?"

"Yes."

"Which means you're not coming?"

"No, I shall be following you in a day or two."

"Then who am I going to be with?"

"Well, I suppose that answer would be quite obvious. You'll be with Natsume, of course."

One week with Natsume Hyuuga to God-knows-where.

* * *

**M**ikan uneasily squiggled on her seat, unable to be still, and it wasn't just the sundress or the big fancy hat she wore that she felt silly in. She and Natsume had a whole train compartment to themselves, and she got the window seat. Natsume sat on the other bench, but he did not take the seat in front of her.

They haven't been talking ever since. Natsume had the right to be mad in the first place, but she wished he bothered to listen. She was admittedly far too innocent but he didn't need to shove it down her throat, though unspoken.

_Because naturally, he has to keep up the image of his ungodly pride_, she thought bitterly.

She closed her eyes, and soon she drifted into slumber, falling into a dream that involved Natsume and the man from the club, who she can vaguely remember, both face and name. Mikan wanted to be free, and the man wanted to give it to her, but Natsume was holding her back.

'You have your responsibilities,' he said.

'Then maybe I don't want to be an adult anymore,' she argued.

'Come with me,' the other man beckoned. 'You'll be like a bird.'

'Mikan, stay with me,' Natsume said firmly.

But before she can make her choice— before her dream can make a choice for a real life situation— she was thrown back to consciousness.

"Ma'm?" She stirred. Natsume never called her that; it turned out to be a train steward. Natsume had probably exited the compartment. "We've arrived."

* * *

"**S**ister Anne!" Mikan cried as soon as she saw the old lady, in her cleric clothing, eyes obviously glad. She immediately ran to Sister, abandoning her suitcase and flung her arms around her, ignoring the flapping of her long dress behind her. "Oh, Sister Anne, I've missed you so much!"

"Mikan," Sister Anne whispered on her ear, combing the younger's brown hair with her crinkly delicate fingers. "Oh, child, what have you gotten yourself into? Where have you been?" She pulled back and observed Mikan's face, cupping her cheeks and giving a smile that reached her eyes and ears. "Well, they have certainly been feeding you, wherever you were! Look at you, a sudden lady by a month." Her eyes peered behind; "Well, it's no wonder, by the looks of your man. Good morning, Natsume."

"Sister Anne," Natsume put down both his and Mikan's suitcases, and held the back of the Sister's hand against his forehead. "Doing well, I hope?"

"As we've always been," she smiled gleefully. "Now, things will be pretty busy these days, what with the wedding and all… I must say, I was ever hopeful you wouldn't forget us when this young girl's name here made an appearance with the news! Come, we have loads to talk about. Ken, dear, be a gentleman and hop their things inside the guest room."

A male voice from behind Mikan asked, "The one upstairs beside the—"

"No, no, not that! The one we cleaned yesterday. Now, hop along and join us in the refectory, will you?"

Mikan excitedly turned. And there he was— her best friend, Ken Tarou. Though the past month changed her, it did nothing to Ken. He still bore the same features and looked nothing younger or older than nineteen. However, when Mikan hurled her arms around his neck, it was like he hasn't seen the light in a while. "Hey there, kid! Came back sooner than expected, huh?"

"Ken!" Mikan literally cried. "You nincompoop! You should've come up sooner!"

"Couldn't have me distracting you from the touching reunion with Sister, now could I?"

"Oh, you!" She lightly punched his chest. "I missed you so; I could even eat citrus in your honor."

"Now, now, there won't be any need of that. Remember the last time it happened?"

"Yes, yes, you arrogant crude!" Mikan laughed. This was what life was before she messed hers up even more by going to Tokyo herself. Suddenly, all worries she'd been carrying atop her shoulders are swept away. With Ken, it was like being a caged animal set free in the wild. "I have loads to tell you!"

Ken carried the suitcases as if it weighed nothing heavy, and dragged it with him inside the orphanage, Mikan bobbing behind, her laughter leaving a stream of giggles.

Natsume, Sister Anne and the other nuns watched them walk away. "I see you've been here safely?"

"Yes, thank you," he smiled at the nun. "The journey was admittedly boring but very tiring indeed."

"Well, I must say! I bet you've been working hard even in the train, haven't you? Come in, come in, and we'll let you two unpack while we serve lunch. The afternoon will surely be busy, with the wedding preparations, hmm?"

* * *

**S**ister Anne must have thought that though they were to get married, barely husband and wife they still were, because for the life of her, Mikan couldn't remember that particular room having a second futon. However, she was not to complain. She could barely talk to Natsume, let alone sleep next to him, which she has never done before, save the naps in previous cars and drifting on couches during late nights.

She unpacked quietly, whereas Natsume obviously brought work with him. He was arguing with someone over the phone— Miss Hatsuni, she would guess, from Natsume's former gentler and courteous tone to the sudden aggravated and heated ones.

Mikan had nothing much to unpack— but she _did _have lots of questions. She wanted to know about this wedding, and from what she gathered through the conversations, she was getting married with Natsume that coming Tuesday! She hasn't talked to Natsume for a week, and they were suddenly getting married?

"I'm sure Atty. Imai can assist you while I'm gone," he was saying, one-handedly trying to fix his things. Having nothing to do and feeling a little sorry for the poor results, Mikan got up from her futon and unpacked for him. He automatically went back, as if a touch between them in private was too much. Wordlessly, Mikan placed his clothing beside hers in a closet and the necessities neatly cowering under. When she was done, he was bidding Miss Hatsuni goodbye, and was telling the client that he would talk to her after her meeting with Hotaru.

Mikan had met Miss Hatsuni before, and she and the lady simply didn't click. She was obnoxious and loved attention, whereas Mikan wanted things simpler. It was funny— when she was a kid, she yearned for that. Now that Mikan more or less had it… it wasn't as everyone said it was. Or at least, as she believed so.

There was a knock on the door, and all hope of starting a conversation with Natsume, to _explain things_, flew out the window.

"Lunch is ready," a muffled voice said.

"We'll be there," Natsume replied. When he opened the door, he didn't even glance at Mikan, but mutely held out his arm, to which she slipped her arm through, and they walked together to the refectory, with Mikan feeling like all gladness had withered when Ken dropped her by the room.

The fact that it was the first real contact they had ever since the row they had last twelfth did not miss either of them.

But still, there was only one matter on Mikan's mind.

_Is this enough for everyone? _

_Am I not pleasing them enough?_

_Is this enough for _you_?_

* * *

"**Y**es, my brother is the King of Backwards and Bastards," Aoi muttered.

Ruka waved this off. "Give him time. Natsume's not used to this… all this."

"Well, it's about time _he does_. Mikan's not a little girl he can play with. She's had her heart broken, Ruka. If he's going to break what's left, then I'm afraid nothing would be left anymore."

"Natsume will realize his mistakes in time," Ruka said loyally, "And so will Mikan."

"Mikan already has, and she's sorry. Natsume, meanwhile, needs to yet learn why his pride is to be put aside when a woman is on the line."

"Aoi, you're being naturally biased with this." Ruka smiled wryly. "Mikan had a choice— and that was to tell Natsume beforehand. Regardless of what those friends of hers wanted her to do, she could've done the right thing."

"Oh, who are _you _to lecture about the right thing?" Aoi grumbled annoyingly. "As far as I know, you and Natsume would have been kicked out of high school if Hotaru Imai didn't try to save you left and right."

"Yes, well, the woman is as smart as she was before," Ruka mumbled. And then, from outside his office, they could hear Miss Hatsuni's shrill voice echoing through the usually busy hallway of Alice Law Firms. "I hope she spared Hatsuni the same patience she had with us."

"You guys fucked up everything together. Hatsuni fucked up everything herself."

"You know," Ruka chortled, standing to try to appease whatever problem that sprouted outside, "I'm having a feeling Natsume was right about you and cable."

* * *

**K**en is holding up practically one of the biggest white onion she has ever seen in her life. He breathed deeply and said, "This—" he wiggled the vegetable, "—is an onion."

Mikan's head bent a little to the right and proceeded in an even voice, "Yes, I've heard about them."

"Right," he nodded, "That's a start. Now, as you've heard of onions, you've probably seen how they are killed. Now, now, you don't cry over these babies because they're actually really delicious." He got a knife and positioned the onion. "To peel this white babe, you have to make sure that your knife is a sharp one, not like the one royal sissies use over breakfast while eating grapes. Then, you take the sharp knife— you be careful, no one wants their onion rings tasting like rusty iron— lay it sideways on a cutting board— no, Mikan, that's not a cutting board, that's where you put your pans after cooking— you remove each end, see? That's when you can peel the onion like this. Okay? Right. You cut it into cross-sections, and then it depends on what you're cooking to the next thing you're going to do. This is how you dice them, and this is for the rings." He showed her small bowls of different onion cuts. "Got it? Good. Now, do it."

Immediately, Mikan backed away and shook her head. "I don't want to go near it. Onions make me cry."

Ken arched an eyebrow. "You keep going at your fiancé and he makes you cry."

Mikan blushed and looked away; "It's different."

"U-huh, whatever you say." He began making flowers out of the carrots and Mikan watched in fascination. "Did he do anything special for you on Valentines'?" He knew how romantic she can get. Every year, he'd give her roses and write a short note that spanned to fake admiration to thankful friendship.

"No," she said curtly, focusing on the cut carrots. "He had another engagement." _Like work and avoiding me because I'm crude_. "I was with his parents, planning the wedding, though." And then, trying to steer the conversation from her, she asked, "What about all of you back here? I've always loved occasions in the orphanage." She did. The nuns always had something in store for all the kids who are robbed of the opportunity to spend it with their families.

Ken's eyes took in a new kind of light when he talked. "It was the same old celebration, but we've got all these visitors from the other orphanage. That priest in the other village, remember him? Father Barty, we like to call him."

"The old man with the fifteen-minute sermon?" Mikan laughed. "I missed him. He's always so funny during his sermons, and makes it comprehensible for my naïve puny brain."

"You've been underestimating yourself lately," Ken observed, stopping his flower-shaped carrots and looking up to Mikan's brown eyes that for some reason, lost some of its natural bliss. "I'm guessing it wasn't all parties and romance in Tokyo, huh?"

"I still haven't found my mom," she said instead. "I'm getting near, though. Natsume's got a search going."

"Makes it sound like your mother's either dead or a fugitive. I'm sorry, but it's the truth."

Mikan sighed. He was right, regardless

"Hey," Ken reached for her chin and she was forced to look up to his serious, concerned eyes. "Something wrong?"

"Some and more," she said shortly. "Life doesn't always go the way we want it."

"Tell me," Ken prodded.

"I'm scared."

"Of getting married?"

"Of everything." By then, tears were trickling down her face, and Ken's fingers from her chin moved to wipe it off. "I'm sorry," Mikan laughed softly, though without humor. She moved away from his touch and turned so as to not face him. "I'm so pathetic."

"You're not," Ken said automatically.

"You're just saying that because you're my friend."

"I'm saying it because it's true." He reached for Mikan's hand and clasped them against the warmth of his. "I don't know what happened to Tokyo that didn't make it on the news, but I know that in some way, it hurt you. I'm your friend, Mikan, and I can listen. Remember that, alright?"

All she wanted to do at that moment was to tell Ken everything— tell her best friend what she really felt inside, just as her seven-year-old self poured her whole heart out on eight-year-old Ken about her mother leaving her to people she didn't even know existed beforehand.

But can she be honest with him this time?

And if she can, what would she tell him?

_I am getting married to a man just so he won't ruin his reputation and I get my mother's house in about a year._

That was it in a nutshell.

And she knew she couldn't tell him that.

Actually, in her mind, it was ridiculous.

So, she said instead, "Yeah."

Ken grinned. "Good." Then he gestured at the sparkling steel oven on one corner of the kitchen. "See that? We bought it from the fund-raiser money we got last December. Remember?"

"The car-wash, the baby-sitting and all those rackets?" Mikan finally laughed. "And the vomiting kids, the crying babies and the car dents?"

"Exactly. Now, do you want to learn something better than onion dicing, given as you don't seem eager to do any of that at all?" He gestured playfully at Mikan's onions that were left untouched.

* * *

**H**e was a fool. Natsume knew that. Perhaps he wouldn't admit it out loud because he has never thought of it otherwise. But when he was around Mikan Sakura, he is struck by that realization, that he was a fool for not paying more attention to life.

Sister Anne had been more than willing to assist him, and he was grateful for the help. He didn't want to bother Mikan with any of the stressful work— that was the reason, after all, why he brought her back to this home of hers. He was foolish and prideful, and he couldn't get himself to say anything at all to the young lady. If it was someone else, he would've pounced at them with every unimaginable word in the most complex thesaurus known by mankind.

And he would've, if he didn't need to remind himself that this was an eighteen-year-old he was talking to. Mikan needed to realize her mistakes and suffer the consequences of the former that disposed her of, she needed to learn her lesson, that though she was allowed to have fun given her age, she was supposed to be aware of what she agreed to, that it came with certain costs and sacrifices because she needed to dedicate herself to it.

In many ways, she was young and old at the same time. The choice she made— the choice of marrying Natsume— was not something that would've been easy even to someone twice her age. What she needed to learn was that she was now engaged in a world where second chances are either rare or non-existent. It wasn't like being in class, and if she ever gets something wrong, she can try again the next day. In real life, in the big world, that wasn't how things were supposed to happen.

He just wished she'd realize that soon. He wasn't a woman, but he knew she won't like to remember her first wedding as a fight with her husband.

From the porch, he could see her truly smiling for the first time in quite a while. She was playing with younger orphans, no doubt, her friends before she left. He wondered how hard it must have been for her, but then again, he probably wouldn't even know where to start.

Sister Clare came up next to him and started ringing the bell. Immediately, everyone lined up according to height, even Mikan who was laughing so hard with Ken at the back.

"If only it was always that easy," he said amusedly, and Sister Clare chuckled.

"Come now, son. You don't want to miss Mikan's first cookies, now do you?"

* * *

**T**hey all sat in the dining room, eating cookies and drinking fresh milk. After saying their graces, they had all sat into their tables, and Natsume and Mikan sat beside all the nuns. Everyone was making polite talk, but Natsume had to excuse himself because Hatsuni had just called.

Soon, Ken visited their table with new bottles of milk. "How are the cookies?" He asked. "We were baking well but if I didn't watch Mikan here, she would've gobbled up half the dough."

Mikan rolled her eyes amidst the laughter. "You're just smug because you're better in this than me."

"Because I am!" Ken chuckled. "Makes me feel awfully bad for Mr. Hyuuga there." He jokingly pointed at Natsume's back, from the other side of the windows. "You'll be the death of him, you know!"

"Oh, hush!" Mikan blushed. "I can easily whip you with anything else."

"That's what you always say," Ken rolled his eyes.

"Mikan, dear," Sister Clare called and handed Mikan a bowl of cookies and a glass bottle of milk, "Why don't you give this to Natsume? I think he might take a little longer with that phone call. Might want some company."

Mikan didn't really want to, but she didn't want everyone in the orphanage wondering why her almost-marriage is a wreck, and she'd have to explain why it was, and it'd be an even bigger problem. And so, she just got the cookies, drew out her tongue at Ken and carried the food outside, climbing through the glass panes, where Natsume was leaning against the comforts of shady tree.

She was breathless, not because he was good-looking, because that'd be awfully cheesy. No, Mikan was breathless because Natsume was so… _Natsume-like_. He was intimidating, like you couldn't come near him without worrying about what he could possibly say that might throw you off.

"I apologize, truthfully. But I've got some private matters I'm handling. Yes, it includes my fiancée. No, it doesn't involve you. Miss Hatsuni, I left everything perfect and in the care of one of the best lawyers out there. Atty. Imai has pleased all her clients. Now, if you don't find her as pleasing as everyone else does, then the problem is probably under your branch." He paused, and then; "You can air your complaints through Mr. Narumi, I am quite busy. Yes. No. Yes, alright. Good bye."

He snapped his phone shut, closed his eyes and sighed. Just like that, he was looking so… serene, she feared coming near him.

"Hey," she said in a low voice, almost a whisper. He looked up, and she had a little smile along her lips. She showed him the cookies and the milk. "Thought you'd want to taste my first baked goods."

He didn't say anything— he just looked at her. And when she got up to him, she made him sit, and she sat beside him, the cookies resting on her lap while she handed him the milk.

She reached for one, bit on it, and stared up to him. He shook his head, watching her like she was a child with a cookie on her mouth. She took her hand back and swallowed. "See? I lived. Don't worry, I didn't put poison on this," she held the piece before his face. "Go on."

He raised an eye brow, seemed to have considered it, and bit on the same cookie. He chewed for a moment, and when he swallowed it, he reached for the milk without saying anything.

Mikan noticed him staring at the horizon, so she did too. It didn't take long for the words to come tumbling out of her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said.

There was silence. And then; "Why?"

Mikan frowned. "What do you mean, why?"

"I meant, why are you apologizing?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"And?

"I was at fault."

"And?"

"I lied."

"And?"

"I broke your trust."

"And?"

"I got mad at you with inadequate and improper reason."

"And?"

She huffed. "I give up."

He shook his head. "Think, Mikan. Think really hard."

She thought. Why _was _she apologizing?

"Because I don't want the wedding guests seeing through our secrets and get you in trouble."

"That's not it."

"Then what is it?"

Natsume heaved a sigh, and then he looked evenly into her eyes. "You're supposed to be apologizing because _you know why I grew frustrated at your actions_. What you gave me were not answers. They were practical ones. It's what everyone expects. Now, I want you to think: _why_?"

And then she understood. "I made a choice. I wasn't being mature." Natsume didn't say anything, still gazing at her. "And neither have you been."

Finally, the edges of his lips twitched. "Yes. I was not. And I apologize for that. But what I wanted you to understand was that even the little actions have the biggest consequences. You wanted to spread your wings, and I let you. But you spread them too wide, and you had to suffer what it chucked on your face."

Mikan was quiet for a moment. "I understand."

"Do you really?"

"Yes."

"Then in your own words, what do I want you to learn?"

"That life sucks and if I suck at it, it's going to suck me to Doomsville."

He considered it for a moment; "Close enough." And then, he reached for another cookie. "Think you can save some of these for Aoi? Then maybe she'd consider about kicking me where the sun doesn't shine."

So, to the people inside the orphanage, watching them, it was romantic— the sweet girl finding her match in a man who was still a boy in many, many ways. But, for them two, it was a continuous adventure— _can _they make it through this whole jungle of chaos?

* * *

**M**ikan didn't think she could get through the afternoon of corsets and shoes. Actually, Sumire looked as if she brought her whole store to the countryside. She had a whole truck for it, and who she paid to do the driving, Mikan couldn't even think of.

Natsume, however, seemed to be enjoying things at her expense. When MIkan had gone out of the dividers Sumire somehow managed to drag in the orphanage, wearing a tight corset over a long-sleeved yet awfully fitting shirt, she caught his eye, then glared at him angrily and drew out her tongue.

"I promise we'll go out after," he gestured around the boxes and boxes of corsets and trunks of shoes, "this."

"'_This_'," Sumire snaps, "Is going to complete her wedding. Now, dear cousin, if you weren't such a male, you would understand."

"U-huh," Natsume nodded. "I'm quite glad all I have to do is throw in a tuxedo."

"Oh, that's what you think," Sumire muttered cruelly. She circled around Mikan before nodding. "Right, you're done." The harder the corset was tied, the easier it was to take it off, and she had gotten it out of Mikan in an instant. Sumire threw her a bright yellow floral sundress. "Here— it's not much, but it's some… pre-pre-wedding gift thing."

Mikan lifted the sundress. It was something Sumire obviously worked on. Probably even an original. "Thanks," she said gratefully, and then darted through the divider.

"Speaking of gifts, what would you like for a wedding gift?" Natsume asked over the dividers.

"Nothing," Mikan answered automatically, just as Sumire whispered coyly on his ear, "Something _adulterous_ would be nice…"

Natsume sighed, "Mikan…", and forcefully shoved Sumire's face away from his ear.

"Well," Mikan thought for a moment, taking her own sweet time as she walked from behind the dividers, flapping the skirt of her dress. "I've always wanted to have a black cat."

He looked at her with the tiniest of cynicism. "I can give you an elephant, and you want to get a black cat? Black cats are bad luck, you know."

"Why would she want an elephant?" Sumire asked outrageously, and Natsume tossed a box top over her direction, which she flawlessly managed to dodge.

"Why would I want an elephant?" Mikan asked as well, laughing. "And that's superstitious. I thought you weren't superstitious."

"Alright, alright." Natsume reached for another box top when Sumire made ridiculous faces. "Why can't you have asked for a black car instead?"

"_Because _I can't drive yet, and you always look like I've grown three heads whenever I ask about cars!"

An hour later, Natsume and Mikan were driving back on the orphanage, with the latter petting a fierce looking black kitten, both of them staring up at Natsume with their wide eyes.

"Mikan," Natsume's strained voice went, "Put the cat away."

"Why?" she frowned. "It cost half of your wallet. I thought you might want to say hello."

"I'll say hello when it's in a cage."

"But I can't put it in a cage," Mikan gasped, as if the very notion sounded ghastly to her, which really was.

"Why not?" Natsume asked, and spared her a quick moment's glance.

"Because what good it is if they're just going to stay up caged all the time?" She asked knowledgeably, and Natsume knew she was going to go old wisdom woman on him again. "It's like you, you know. You're always caged up in your work and you don't have time to see what life really looks like."

At that moment, Natsume knew he chose the right person for. For what? He didn't know either, but he did know that this whole thing with Mikan was going to be worth it.

* * *

"**I **can't breathe," Mikan complained.

"Oh, hush, Mikan," Aoi said, fluffing her curled hair. "You've nothing to be worried about. All this is going to be done before you knew it."

"No, no, I mean it," she pointed at the corset tightening around her torso. "_I can't breathe_."

Sumire rolled her eyes and unzipped the gown, loosening the corset under. "Better?"

"You mean I don't feel like a sumo wrestler's sitting on my lungs? Then, yes." Mikan sighed, and then turned to look at herself on the life-size mirror. She wasn't vain, but she thought she looked mighty pretty. Her hair was pulled back into curls, and a thin wire of sparkling diamonds glistened against the brownness of her mane. And her dress… she was so speechless. It was so white, so pure, so innocent. The corset tightened the upper part of her gown with the sweetheart neckline and the lace turtleneck and sleeves that ended in a triangular cut just above the back of her palms. The tapering made her skirts even bigger, draping down to her toes with two layers of petticoats under. It was heavy, but it was just so wonderful, it was enough compensation.

"Pretty, huh?" Aoi whispered from behind her. She rested her arms around Mikan's shoulders and lightly kissed her cheek. "This is your day, Mikan. Make it memorable, okay?"

Before she could promise, a knock on the door made them all look up. Sumire shouted, "I _told _you, Koko, no man can see Mikan yet!"

The doors opened anyway, and Sumire was ready to pounce on the intruder if Aoi didn't pull her back.

"Mother," Mikan smiled. "Hotaru."

"Let me look at that face," Kaoru said, and approached Mikan with a proud smile. "Such a pretty one, hmm?"

Mikan held Kaoru's hand, which was on her cheek. "Thank you, mother," she whispered. What her own mother wasn't here to do, Kaoru did. She told her stories, and she helped her with the wedding, and Mikan was so glad she had someone of the same gender older to share all of these.

Kaoru nodded and turned to Aoi. "Now, let me look at you." But then she frowned, and wordlessly made Aoi sit on a chair. Mikan braced herself for probably a burst of tears from Aoi, but Kaoru just fixed Aoi's hair, when some strands started to wisp against her forehead. "There. You look very beautiful, Aoi."

Mikan couldn't even imagine how wonderful Aoi probably felt, and all she could do was smile, even for a moment.

_This is it_, she thought. _Mission Number One, fake marriage. Mission Number Two, save marriage. Well, actually it's 'save crumbling family' but that's just too long. So. It'll be like hitting two birds with one stone. Wait, is that even possible? How can you possibly hit two birds with one stone? What if they were both flying and then you hit one but then the other flies to the other direction? Don't birds react reflexively? So how can you hit them with one stone?_

As Mikan's mind started rambling, Hotaru could only watch the young woman and resist the temptation of telling her to run off before Natsume can hurt her.

"You know," Hotaru said instead, "That gown would look really well with a smile." Mikan knew that was a reminder of the cameras. "But if you don't want to, I don't think Hyuuga will mind."

She laughed, and Mikan thought if she really deserved these people.

* * *

**I**t happened too quickly, just as Aoi said, that Mikan is glad someone had gotten it on tape. She surely want to relive something so important and probably emotional to others, when it's but a faze memory to her!

The church wedding utterly surprised Mikan, especially because she was so sure she and Natsume agreed on a civil one. Imagine her shock when she went down the car, only to find herself staring blankly at the church. The ceremony was even led by Father Barty himself, who is ever so amusing, as he always is. During their car ride back at the orphanage, where the reception was set at the enormous back yard, Natsume told her his intentions— that it was a private wedding and the only ones invited were and are the people who mattered. She could barely hold back her tears when she jumped on him to hug him tight. Her first wedding, with no media and unwanted people around!

Now, as she listened to Ruka in his best man speech, Mikan realized how Natsume really made an effort. All she had a hand on were the decorations and clothing, and she thought it was wonderful by just that, but Natsume made it extra by simply making it meaningful. Mikan now understood that the wedding was exactly that, and she wondered how it must've been hard on the Hyuugas, who are probably so used by ostentatious occasions.

But everyone was having fun, and she was glad of that. As Ruka congratulated both of them once again, she joined the applause, and saw the flickers of true happiness in the guests' eyes. Momo, the Maid of Honor, who is a young sixteen year old at the orphanage who looked a hell lot like her and was usually shy, seemed to be having fun conversing with Aoi.

And she thought how wonderful it would be if everyday of this married life with Natsume was like this.

When they all toasted and Mikan had to drink the champagne, she drew out a tongue, and Natsume was amused by it. He wiped the edge of her lips with a table napkin. "You're still troubled by alcohol?"

"I'm still troubled by this arrangement," she replied.

Natsume frowned, yet only for a second so as to not arouse suspicion, given as Koko was snapping his cameras around like crazy. "You don't like it?"

"No, I do, really," she reached for his hands. "I'm really thankful for everything. Really, I am. But I told you I didn't want to break a vow in front of God…"

"I know," Natsume said firmly. "But Father Barty is an important person in your life, I heard. He helped you when you were first around here. I want to thank all these people by at least letting them know you've been happy in the early parts of the marriage, before the divorce." He leaned a bit closer for comfort, and Mikan tried not to look tight by this. "You _are _happy, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," she said with a little more willpower, and said with a little humor, "I was just surprised when they shoved me in a church and forced my arms around Mr. Narumi's, that's all."

Natsume eyed her for a moment, and then he said, "What we did was pretty dumb."

"I know," Mikan grinned. "But isn't that what we should carry out? Look for something dumb to do to balance all the serious things we become prisoners of in life?"

"Yes," Natsume agreed just as comically, yet he is led to wonder once again how smart she really is, "I just woke up one morning and said, 'Hey, I think I want to marry Mikan Sakura'."

"And _that_," she giggled, "was probably the dumbest thing ever! I wonder what I'd done to you." She pretended to muse. "Stare at you with my unbelievably big brown eyes? Force you to drink some potion disguised as fresh milk?"

"I don't know about you," he mumbled loyally, "But save the circumstances, I'd prefer you than any other in the world right now."

"Even if it's Sister Clare?" she joked, and laughed softly.

"Even if it's Sister Clare with her magical cooking that's a thousand times better than the best chef in Tokyo."

"Or Miss Hatsuni?"

He stuck out his tongue, which made her laugh. "Or Miss Hatsuni."

"Or Hotaru?"

"Or Imai," he said gravely.

She thought for another name, but then a golden one took its precedence. It wasn't something he told her directly, but there were certain times when words and… err… _things_… slip. "Or No—" she stumbled over the name— "Nobara Ibaragi?"

"Or— who told you about her?" Now, Natsume's face had gone a little serious.

MIkan just smiled that big winsome one she always does, causing her eyes to shrink. She put her finger on her lips and made a shushingsound. "Don't worry, Natsume. I already sent a bunch of ninjas to annihilate her and her plans of stealing you from me."

* * *

_**Author's Note**__**: **_As you've read, I didn't go through the process of explaining the wedding. I think I'd leave all the imagery to you. And part of it is because I haven't been to wedding in a while— the last time was when I was still showering the aisles with flowers, and I'm already nearing sixteen! I hope you all have a good imagination, though, so you can enjoy their wedding through the little details I threw in.

By request, these are their respective ages:

Natsume Hyuuga, 24

Ruka Nogi, 24

Hotaru Imai, 24

Mikan Sakura, 18

Aoi Hyuuga, 16

Yuka Azumi, 38

Kaoru Igarashi, 51

Ioran Hyuuga, 60

Anjou Narumi, 27

Anna Ogasawara, 23

Yura Hatsuni Takaheshi, 25

Sumire Shouda, 25

Kokoroyumi Yome, 26

Ken Tarou,19

Youichi Hijiri, 5

Kina Midori, 18

Saki Yanga, 18

Mayumi Sakurako, 18

So, Chapter XI: What Makes You Different Makes You Beautiful.


	11. What Makes You Different Makes You

_**Chapter XI: What Makes You Different Makes You Beautiful**_

_I know sometimes you feel_

_Like you don't fit in_

_And this world doesn't know_

_What you have within_

_When I look at you_

_I see something rare…_

_(Backstreet Boys)_

* * *

"**M**r. Narumi?"

Narumi, who was walking past Mikan's desk with a bunch of folders, stopped and smiled at her. "Yes?"

"Who was that child in Hotaru's office?"

Immediately, Narumi's face sobered up. "Case 021439." With not another word, he walked off.

Frowning, Mikan loaded up the computer desktop provided for her and searched for _Case 021439._ It must've been private if Narumi didn't explain it to her. She waited for about five seconds before she got a file copy.

**...**

**Case 021439**

**Name: **Hijiri Youichi

**Age: 5 Birth date: **April 13, 2005

**Address: **[REDACTED]

**Parents**

**Father: **[REDACTED] **Mother: **[REDACTED]

**Occupation: **[REDACTED] **Occupation: **[REDACTED]

…

And on the next page was obviously a shortened version of no doubt a very long file. It explained Youichi's refusal, hearings, demand and talks with the resident psychologist and therapist, Ms. Yamada. There was a lot of redacted information. Mikan wondered why they didn't redact the whole file altogether. Was it really that private? On the bottom of the file, it was declared:

**Open for Adoption.**

* * *

"**W**hy are you looking at me like that?" Natsume asked, sparing his wife a glance. Admittedly, it was still odd for him to address someone as his wife, especially with the ways Mikan Sakura is acting around him. She was like a thirty-year-old in a three-year-old body sometimes. Also, they had just been married for two days, it was something you have to get used to, especially with someone you've met just last January.

Mikan gave him a cheeky smile. "Kimi needs more cat food."

"_More_?" Natsume repeated incredulously. "You mean she already polished that big bag I got for her?" The same time he bought the cat, he also bought a big bag of cat food. Secretly, he wondered if Mikan was eating it too. Surely, no cat could eat that amount in less than a week!

"Kimi's a growing kitten!" She retorted.

"She who is without equal indeed," he muttered, referring to the cat's name's meaning. Mikan had spent a whole hour ticking with Natsume's laptop which he brought along in the trip for a good suitable name for the cat. "Alright. We'll go by after I pick up dinner. What do you want?"

"Pepper Lunch!" she said excitedly.

"I don't think so."

"Oh, come on, Natsume, I haven't eaten in Pepper Lunch for _days_!"

"What about we just drop by the market and get some… vegetables and toss them or something?"

"Vegetables?" Mikan scoffed, crossing her arms. "What am I, three?"

"I can't have you being sick all over."

"I'm not going to be sick. And besides, if anyone's going to be sick between the two of us, it'll be you."

"And why me?"

"Because you never bother to eat, that's why."

Rolling his eyes in amusement, Natsume finally agreed. "Alright. Pepper Lunch it is." He let her give a squeal of delight before asking, "How was school today?"

"Not one camera snapped a picture of me, if that's what you mean."

"Yes, because no one knows we're already married. Speaking of, have you given a thought of what to give mother and father tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes!" She jumped in her seat excitedly. "If we drop by Koko's studio now, we can bring it tomorrow."

"Koko's studio? What, you're going to give them Koko? I don't think that's a good idea."

"What? No! It's a surprise."

"Why is it a surprise to me? I'm the one giving the gift."

"Yes, but you have to wait until we eat at Pepper Lunch and buy Kimi her food before you can see."

Natsume shook his head. It was comical how this eighteen-year-old can be all bubbly like an eight-year-old. "It's a Thursday. Didn't you have a quiz today?" He knew her Literature teacher held weekly quizzes.

"Actually, we did. And I failed."

"You did?"

"No. I aced it." Then, she added smugly, "Again."

"Of course," Natsume rolled his eyes. He knew Mikan was trying hard and doing her best. And he was glad that she was. He knew she was doing it for herself, and he was glad she was giving it her all. He had decided not long ago that he was going to help fund her college fees and expenses.

* * *

"**B**eautiful, isn't it?" Koko said, admiring as well the large portrait that was his best take.

Mikan's eyes were on the framed picture. She had to admit herself, it was a wonderful photo. Their smiles were genuine and for a moment, it seemed so… real. "Koko, wow." She breathlessly whispered, "It's beyond beautiful. You're an amazing photographer."

"And you, madam, are an amazing subject," he winked, and then started packing the frame in a box. "Do me a favor and never get old. I think I'll need a natural beauty every now and then."

"Stop teasing me, Koko," Mikan laughed. "Thanks, again. We'll see you around?"

"Yep." He gestured at the studio at the back. "I still haven't done the rest of your pictures. I'll drop it off maybe next week." He turned to Natsume; "When's the next event?"

Natsume shrugged. "I want to wait until after the school holidays. I think it's going to do her at least some good to be completely away from school."

Mikan finally tore her eyes away from a shot of Natsume pecking her cheek for the 'Kiss the bride' part of the wedding. He didn't kiss her on the lips, and Mikan was quite thankful for that. "You make it sound like people are going to step all over me when I'm married. You're the son of a lawyer and a tycoon, Natsume, not a Hollywood actor."

He rolled his eyes, and paid Koko in advance. Mikan was humming to herself while Natsume walked beside her— that was how they are now: if, then, the woman would always stalk after the man, this time, they were equals. Mikan liked that, being treated like a person, and not just a young lady who was forced into a contract by a domineering lawyer.

"Hey, Natsume? How old should one be to legally adopt a child?"

"Homework?"

"Kind of."

"At least twenty years old. Over twenty-five, preferably."

"And how much does it cost?"

"One-point-six million yen, if I'm not mistaken, usually more."

Mikan whistled. "That's kind of… big."

"Internationally, it is." He held the door for her. "What class is this for?"

"Oh, just an essay for school," she fibbed, "I just think it's a pretty cool topic."

"You can ask Imai about it, if you want. She's the one who's mainly in charge of that these days."

An hour later, when Mikan finally ended her phone call with Hotaru, she rushed to Natsume's room, didn't even knock and jumped on his bed, declaring;

"I want to adopt a kid."

Natsume didn't even look up from his papers. "No," he said firmly.

"What? Why? You're twenty-four!"

"Yes, and you're eighteen. In addition to that, you are a senior in high school and an incoming university student. I doubt you'll have time to take care of a kid."

"But remember, you have a housekeeper!"

"She's busy with another job during the weekdays. As you're here and you're always in the move to clean something, I didn't think there was a daily need for her."

"Then she can double as a nanny! Come on, Natsume, and I already have a kid in mind, and Hotaru said it's okay as long as you say yes and I only need your affirmation and we can—"

"Wait a second," Natsume finally looked up to face Mikan's upside-down face, lying on the bed. "_Imai _said it was okay?"

"Yep!" she piped, turning around and sitting up. "She said it'd be better for the kid anyway, to be around with someone younger and who can at least understand what he's feeling."

"Mikan," Natsume shook his head, laughing a little at the absurdity of her mind, "You can't just decide you want to adopt someone. It needs serious consideration. You know what? This is just a phase. All this researching for adoption makes you want it badly."

"I lied about the essay."

Natsume stared at her blankly before turning back to his work.

"Is that a yes?" She asked eagerly.

"Contrary to what you think, this is what a _no _looks like."

"But, Natsume, think of how we can help that kid…"

"Detaching the child from his parents will not help him. How old is this kid you're referring to, anyway?"

"Five, and Hotaru said that his parents are incapable of taking care of a—"

"Are we talking about Imai's client?"

"Client…?" Mikan blinked questioningly. "Oh, you mean You-chan!"

"You…chan?" Natsume repeated incredulously. Apparently, she already had a nickname for Hijiri. "Mikan, you don't know this kid. He's not normal."

"Don't be silly, Natsume!" Mikan laughed, rocking around the bed. "He's five. Knowing him isn't like socializing with a bunch of high school students. It'll be like a Lit exam. And stop saying that about his mentality, that's not nice!" She added with a scolding voice.

Natsume couldn't accept the fact that he was being reprimanded by an eighteen-year-old and second, that she was being downright stubborn. He decided that he didn't want Mikan and Aoi in the same room with the similar stubborn and pissed nature. "I'm sorry, Mikan. I'll get you another cat, but I won't adopt a kid for you."

"You're not being very fair," she crossed her arms.

"How can I not be fair?" He asked dubiously. "I give you all you want and need _with good reason_ and yet I'm not being fair?"

She huffed. She knew she was being quite a brat, but she really wanted to adopt Youichi. Hotaru said that she would introduce her to him on Saturday when she comes to work, as she would be attending Mr. Hyuuga and Ms. Igarashi's 25th Silver Anniversary. Knowing that stomping off would do none of them good, or that singing aloud to annoy Natsume would just earn a shake of the head, she sighed loudly and jumped on his bed, arms spread and legs tangling all over his now-unfolded sheets. Not a long while later, Kimi meows and pats her way to the room.

He saw from a vague peripheral vision without looking up that Mikan had hoisted the cat to his sheets, and was quietly whispering to it. He wondered what she would do. When she just kept on murmuring indistinct words to Kimi, he tuned her off and went back to work. About half an hour later, Mikan was already sleeping soundly on his bed, with Kimi sleeping under the sheets, her arm over its thin furry body.

He grimaced. Contrast to Mikan's darling treatment towards the cat, he didn't like it as much. Kimi the kitten is indeed an adorable fur, but the cat was black with red orbs twinkling at night that could no doubt compete with his. He turned off his laptop, grabbed some sheets and a file, then dragged himself to the sitting room couch.

* * *

"**A**lright," Natsume sighed, "We'll compromise."

Mikan did not cheer yet. Her eyes sneakily glanced at Natsume and didn't say anything. _I mean_, she argued to herself, _this is a lawyer I'm talking to._

He took this signal as a 'go on'. "Adoption isn't an easy task. It takes almost a year or more to settle the papers. And they're going to need to check if you're capable enough to care for a baby. Now, as we are technically husband and wife, I can adopt the kid because you obviously can't, but they will still need to test you."

"I know," she mumbled.

"If you prove to me you're mature enough to take care of a child— like not forgetting to feed the cat— I'll do it."

Mikan was silent for a while as she weighed and considered it all. "Do you think Hotaru can pull a few strings for us?"

"If you ask her and exclude my name, she most probably will."

That day to school, Mikan could barely keep her excitement. She was thinking of all the things she could do to prove herself to Natsume. She's had experience in the orphanage but taking care of kids alone is not proof enough that you can handle having a kid. They will need to be emotionally satisfied too. Given that Youichi Hijiri wasn't your typical five-year-old case, it proposed a challenge, but a good thing too, because she'd be helping a young orphan— no, not an orphan, but rather, a child who hasn't been given proper rights.

She was waiting for Natsume to pick her up that afternoon, standing on the usual place near the school's guard. Usually, she'd converse with said man but he was currently busy rewriting that day's notes, given the coffee spilt all over at least ten pages of the logbook. Mikan's eyes wandered around, thinking of nothing in particular, when a child's cries reached her ears. Not too far from where she stood was a nanny pushing a young one's stroller. In a strike of natural affection, she approached them.

"What's the matter?" she cooed at the baby, whose cheeks were bright red and damp with salty tears.

"I'm sorry," the nanny apologized, blushing, "This is embarrassing. I hope it isn't very unbecoming."

At first, she didn't recognize it, but a closer look was all it took. "Why are her cheeks red? Was she _slapped_?" She asked incredulously.

The nanny looked uncomfortable in explaining, but she did anyway, and Mikan didn't remove the finger she offered the infant. "She has apple sickness."

"Apple sickness?" Mikan frowned. She was not familiar with the term. If she was sarcastic, she would've asked something along the lines of 'over-eating apples' and something equally weird. The nuns didn't educate her on too many of sicknesses and diseases, as she often gets upset by the possibility that children and people in the world are actually suffering from it, and she couldn't do nothing about them but to pray, yet she wanted to do some action.

"Fifth Disease, in other countries. She's had this for some days now, and usually it's nothing to worry about, but apparently, young Rika has SCD and infection may possibly sudden an aplastic crisis."

She blinked.

The nanny laughed. "I'm sorry. I'm Masuyo, a nurse in training. I'm working to pay off my university loan, part of the reason why I wanted to take care of Rika here."

"Oh…" Mikan nodded. "What's an aplac—" she stumbled over the word, "Aplastic crisis?"

"It's when the body stops making red blood cells for a time. This will then cause the person's hemoglobin to drop low, and usually requires the child to be taken to a hospital. Rika's going to the doctors with her parents tonight for a check-up."

"But you said she's had this for a while…"

Masuyo smiled sadly. "Rika's parents are not exactly wealthy. Her brother also has SCD and he's been taking folic acid and penicillin everyday since birth. They're planning to give him a bone marrow transplant but they're in par with someone richer and more important."

Mikan eyed the baby sadly. "So this is what real life is like?"

"I'm afraid so. The hospitals need funds to, and when paid thrice the original amount, it's not something you can easily ignore."

She thought for a moment, letting the now-calm Rika playing with her slender and gentle fingers. Then, with her other hand, she swiped her phone from the secret pocket for her bag, a place where, if she forgot to put on silent during class, will have its tone muffled. "Why don't you put your number here? I think I know someone who can help Rika and her brother, but I can't promise anything."

"That would be wonderful," Masuyo said, and started pushing her numbers. She noticed the time on Mikan's phone. "I better be off and give Rika a bath. Thank you… I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Mikan," she said, careful not to add Hyuuga, since she was accustomed to since the wedding in preparation for the event that night. "I might drop by, if that's alright."

"I'm sure it will be," Masuyo said.

Mikan bid goodbye to Masuyo and lightly patted Rika's cheeks. Just as they turned to walk off, Natsume's car went forward. She hadn't noticed that he parked across the street.

"Hey," he greeted her, grabbing her books. "You seemed to be having a serious conversation so I didn't interrupt."

They got in the car, and just until then did Mikan open her mouth. "The kid was sick," she said quite sadly.

"It was?" He asked dumbly, though just to keep her going. He realized she was getting preoccupied, so he took it as his job to clasp the seatbelt around her body.

"She was," Mikan exhaled, "I wish I could've done something, but I'm not Masayoshi Son."

Noticing that she was tired and dejected, Natsume placed his free hand above hers and said softly, "Why don't you go take a nap? I'm sure Sumire will be fanning around you like a hawk, and you need all the rest you can get."

* * *

"**I**s wealth such identification these days?"

"What are you talking about?" Sumire scoffed, picking a light shade of color from her palette. "Close."

She shut her eyes. "I mean, are people really identified by their importance through their money?"

"Open." She assessed Mikan's face for a while. "Close. That's always been the case, honey."

"Really?" she mumbled, careful not to smudge up her lipstick much. It was a deep red and a smear would be more than noticeable. "Isn't that unfair?"

"I suppose so," Sumire said. "But you shouldn't worry about that. Natsume's got everything down for you. I mean, I can walk in Yohji Yamamoto's and they'll attend to me."

"That's because you're a frequent customer," Mikan stated, which was true. She's seen enough of Sumire's clothes that showed up on famous Yohji's ads and shoots. "But what I want to know is what happens to those who're not as rich as, well, the Hyuugas, say?"

"Nothing. They stick where they are. Wait for an opening. Open."

"But if richer people keep coming up…?"

"Then they're back at the end of the line. That's just how society works, Mikan. You can't change that."

"Do these, say, _rich _people donate?"

"Sure they do. My parents have been generously funding Tokyo Medical University for a long time. Close."

"What about Natsume?"

Sumire snorted. "Natsume? You're kidding me. The only donation he's supporting is Ruka Nogi's non-existent pet shop."

Reflexively, she was to reply, "Actually, it's an animal shelter," as per Ruka's frequent line, but decided against it. "Do you think Natsume will be willing to fund one?"

"I honestly don't know, Mikan. I mean, he doesn't seem like the patriotic type. He's more… nationalistic, if I may say."

Mikan held her thoughts to herself. When she saw Rika that afternoon, she knew what she wanted to do, and it doubled as her proof to Natsume that she was responsible. She was going to start visiting youth centers and child care institutes. She was going to lift the smiles off sad patients' names. She couldn't possibly donate an amount by herself, as her only paying job was working as a part-time secretary to Ruka. She wondered why he even bothered hiring her, as she could do nothing but file and rewrite.

Sumire dragged her off the chair and tossed a paper bag at Mikan. "Here. I finished that this morning. Don't forget to tell whoever asks that it's by me." Mikan rolled her eyes and the twenty-four-year old left the room, saying, "And don't mess up your hair!"

* * *

"**I**t's wonderful," she managed to whisper, staring wide-eyed around the patio. It was a warm February night and the celebrations were held under the star-lit skies. Mikan was clad in a pale rose-colored cocktail dress and was glad for the design, so she wouldn't have to worry about people (including her) stepping on the tails of her gowns. However, there was the case of her knobby, unattractive knees…

"As are you," Natsume complimented, and Mikan gave him a smile.

"You don't look so bad yourself."

"Of course," he rolled his eyes, "You're not the same person who told me just last night that I do not eat, therefore assumable that I am unsightly."

"Oh don't worry," she laughed, "You'll always be handsome to them. It's just me who see your flaws because I have no life."

He shook his head and led her further to the party. Family friends and acquaintances greeted them but unlike before, they weren't eager to know how the firm is doing, or if the Igarashi Incorporation is blooming, or even if Natsume Hyuuga has settled down with a woman. This time, they asked questions about Mikan Sakura, the young lady (teenager was obviously highly avoided) who captured the usually stoic and stern man's heart.

Mikan didn't like to lie, especially since she hated Natsume the first time their paths crossed. But his name and reputation was on the line, so she tried to deliver the carefully written and precisely toned and memorized lines she had been rehearsed for so long. _Natsume and I have been friends for a while_ was one line she could not help but giggle inwardly to. And of course there was that _He and I want to take things easy for a while _was another crack Sumire inserted in, and Mikan remembered the sly grin that was sent to Natsume, which consequently earned the woman a pillow hit.

Soon, Mikan grew tired of the guests asking her all around. After all, it wasn't _her _party. And she couldn't help but notice how very… _different_… she was from all these people. The guests traced from company owners, proprietors, board directors, executives, producers and associates to family friends, a few chosen relatives and frequent allies. Mikan was nothing but an eighteen-year-old girl in high school, who escaped from the orphanage and was only an entertainment to Natsume Hyuuga. Unfortunately, it wasn't only her who was thinking that, as more than once she spotted an equally nice-looking young lady whose eyes would linger on Natsume, then a while on her, then on Natsume again. No doubt they think the relationship would not last long. And Natsume was young and good-looking, there's no doubt about that. The wealth and inheritance is just a bonus to all of that. It was a good thing the socialites very rarely do read tabloids.

They've been aimlessly walking around for about half an hour in the gardens, trying to avoid curious guests and failing for the most part. When Mikan grew hungry and repeatedly nudged on Natsume's cuff links, he led her to the refreshment stands, where they saw Hotaru and Ruka drinking from identical glasses and looking around, obviously not talking to the guests or to each other.

This changed, however, when matters of work were brought up.

"Have you gotten the results on his Kholberg's theory exam?"

Ruka glared at his two colleagues incredulously. "He's five!"

"All the more reason why I did," Hotaru said, not even glancing at Ruka. "And this is my case, Nogi, ever since you dropped it on my desk last month."

"Yes, but come on… he's five! Notionally, he should be housing with his parents!"

"But his parents are incapable of taking care of him, like I've mentioned in the file more than _five times_. Which brings me to another matter." She turned to Natsume. "You're adopting Hijiri."

"I am not," he said firmly, ignoring Mikan's tearful eyes looking up at him. "And if ever, at least not now. Mikan and I have compromised."

"You mean _you _had a compromise with yourself," Mikan muttered, realizing that her dramatic eyes had failed. "I never said a thing about that, except if Hotaru would help."

"Trust me, she will," Natsume mumbled, and then directed his attention to Hotaru and accused her, "This is all your doing, Imai."

"I've given it some thinking and you know how I am, Hyuuga." She sipped a small amount from her glass. "I do serious consideration. It will help Youichi Hijiri to be around someone who can understand him. Being away from his parents is highly similar to Mikan's case. And if things don't work out, you can always give him back. Let's say both parties will experiment. After all, these things take about a year or so."

"Just look at her!" He signed his hands over Mikan. "Does _that _look like someone who wants to experiment? She's stubborn, and you helped."

"I can't take credit for what I never started," Hotaru said wickedly. "She was the one who was curious."

"Right. And I suppose that you '_seriously considered' _the circumstances during that one-hour phone call."

"Still talking about work over the party?" The group spun around to Kaoru's voice. She was alone; Ioran sat at the center, too exhausted to talk, though he has been entertaining approaching visitors. "I am glad you two made it."

"Our pleasured honors, Ms. Igarashi," Ruka smiled, kissing the woman's hand. "I must say, it's a wonderful setting."

"A little gratitude for the crew who took over, especially to Ms. Imai here." She smiled at Hotaru.

"It was nothing, Ms. Igarashi," Hotaru said quietly. "I am pleased you trusted my judgment."

"Haven't I always?" She finally turned to Natsume and Mikan. "Ioran is looking for both of you. I am sure he'd rather converse with you two instead of drillers and directors."

Mikan liked her father-in-law, which is why she immediately set down her flute, forced Natsume to set his down as well, and dragged him to Ioran.

"Mikan!" She was greeted warmly, and immediately, the investors he was talking to tactfully steered away. "You were fairly busy with our visitors, weren't you?"

She pouted childishly. "Natsume didn't want to kick them away from me."

"You _were _doing fine," Natsume noted.

Mikan laughed. "I _was_, but then they started getting too personal, like when am I planning to get pregnant." Her cheeks blushed slightly but a smile was still on her place.

"I hope not very soon," Ioran laughed. "I do hope you enjoy university without a babe on one arm."

"Don't worry, father," Mikan giggled. "I don't think Natsume can take care of two children so soon."

"Dad!" Aoi's voice rang with brightness. She skipped to them, uncaring how carefree she was acting. Mikan noticed the change of her aura ever since the wedding, and also noted the way she was now acting around Kaoru.

"Hello, Aoi," Ioran smiled at her, and Aoi took the seat next to him. "You look very pretty as always, darling."

"I did take after my parents," she said with a laugh.

They were exchanging a pretty good conversation until Aoi's face sobered up. Mikan noticed that Ioran's has, as well, but Natsume's face remained completely blasé.

She looked around.

"Grandmother," Natsume greeted her cheerfully.

* * *

**"N**o." Mikan mumbled forcefully.

"Nothing is going to happen," Natsume said, cajoling her forward. The moment Grandmother Hyuuga entered the room, most of the familial relatives froze up. She was as intimidating as her name, and Mikan was one who was easily intimidated by elites.

"Yes, but isn't it always the grandmother who hates the bride whenever the parents are okay with her? It's not difficult to realize that I'm really different from your crowd, Natsume."

"Listen to me." He said firmly, clasping her hand tightly, in a comforting way. "Your being different doesn't matter. It's what makes other people notice you. You don't need to have your own ATM vault just to belong. You already are in this— this crowd, as you put it. And you easily outshine every single one of them."

"You're just saying that."

"Your charisma is inescapable."

"You always say that."

Natsume flung his hands. "Everything I say gets thrown back. Honestly, Mikan, do you have any sense of self-esteem left at all?"

"Of course I have, they just flew out the window for a vacation in Majorca when your grandmother entered the building." She eyed the old woman who was greatly tended by the capable Kaoru and Ioran, with a seemingly rather reticent Aoi.

"What's got you thinking such things?"

"I don't _fit _in with everything and everyone else, Natsume." Mikan smiled sadly, and then tugged on his tie so she was closer to his face, as he was whole lot taller than her. "Remember, I was going to steal Aoi's truck." And then, she coughed, a little silly, "Grandmother's boy."

He laughed, and his breath warmed her stiffening face.

"How old is she anyway?" she asked in quick whisper.

"Ninety?" Natsume chuckled. "Give or take a few."

"Mikan Sakura."

They froze.

Grandmother Hyuuga stood before them with a neutral face though with twinkling eyes.

"Is she a ninja?" Mikan whispered quietly, not letting go yet of Natsume's tie.

He laughed again, and Mikan hoped it was to cover up her uneasiness and not because the question she asked was too stupid.

"Something you'd like to share, Natsume?"

"It seems my fiancé is wary of her appearance before you, grandmother."

It was no doubt that the both of them favored each other. Mikan couldn't help but think how much she would tease Natsume after this.

"And of course I've heard all about you, Mikan Sakura," Grandmother said, "Although I'd like to know first-hand rather than what I've read in the tabloids."

_I guess _some of them_ do read tabloids_, Mikan thought, taking back what she was on to earlier.

"You don't mind if I, ah, _question _your fiancé, won't you, Natsume?"

He actually spared Mikan a glance, the edges of his lips twitched oh-so slightly, and said, "Of course not, grandmother."

Natsume didn't need a woman to tell him that Mikan's murderous look said, _You're dead_.

And dead he was going to be, because Mikan may not be a bright one, but she at least knew that Grandmother Hyuuga has better candidates for her grandson. This was proven by the way their conversations flew as they walked on the labyrinth the masters of the house grew since they first had the house.

"I was hoping that Natsume would've smartly chosen someone from a, say, _more illustrious _background."

"I think I've created quite a gossip from what you've read in the papers."

Grandmother Hyuuga stopped to one particular rose surrounding the bushy labyrinth. She picked it up and held it to Mikan without looking back. "Natsume reminds me so much of my late husband. Even their thoughts and personalities are awfully similar. They've always spent a great deal of time together when he was a child, and when he died, Natsume suffered worse than anyone else. What I mean to say, Mikan, is that given their personalities, Natsume and his grandfather may have been more alike than I expect."

Mikan knew from a lesson of family history that Grandmother Hyuuga wedded under unexpected circumstances. "Forgive me, grandmother, but if a marriage to a complete stranger made you happy, I suppose a marriage coated with genuine love is a happily ever after tale itself."

In her own terms, she was being a bitch.

* * *

**"C**ome on, Mikan," Natsume said, coercing Mikan quietly over the chatters of the guests.

The food was superb, but even if Natsume went to fetch Mikan's favorite foods that were available, it wasn't enough compensation for his sending her off with, as she forcefully put it, 'the devil'.

"Don't even touch me, Hyuuga," she said evilly, her eyes piercing Natsume's.

Immediately, he held back, though secretly amused. Whatever exchange between his wife and his grandmother was surely nothing he can boast about. Although his grandmother gave him quite a welcomed smile, Mikan's was more strained and stiff, and when they were left together, she refused to talk to him.

"It couldn't have been too bad," he said.

"Clam it, gran'mama's boy!" she snapped in a quick, low yet harsh whisper. "And for the record, it _was _that bad."

"You can stay mad at me for a long time, but can you please put on a show for mother and father? They're coming." He signaled his chauffer, who wasn't very far, to bring forth the portrait.

"It's getting pretty late," Kaoru said as she approached them. The number of visitors was thinning, though relatives remained. "And I'm sure Mikan needs to get some rest. I heard from Ruka that tomorrow would be quite a busy day for you."

"I sure would love to stay, mother," Mikan said, "But here," she got the portrait from Natsume and gave it to Kaoru with her usual smile: carefree, innocent, and as if she held no grudge to anyone at all, least of all the man standing beside her. And then, she leaned to Ioran's ears so only he could ear, "It's a photograph of me and Natsume on our wedding." She added a little shyly, "I was hoping to see it hung on your study. After all, home is where the family is at."

Ioran wrapped Mikan around his arms, and Mikan hugged him back. To her, it felt nice, having a family, and people who deeply care about you. Even if things turned up like this, if asked if she'd still choose this path… she'd say yes.

After all, this _is _still a family they have, and regardless of the circumstances in the near future… well, they didn't need to know the wedding was fixed in the first place.

A little teary herself, she mumbled on Ioran's ears, "I love you… dad."

"You'll always be a daughter to us, Mikan."

She pulled back and Kaoru held her by the cheeks with an endearing smile. "We're family, aren't we?"

"Yes," Mikan said. "I have a family."

And because of that moment, as he watched Mikan's honest emotions bursting with unsaid promises, Natsume feared the day he would 'divorce' Mikan.

_In your eyes I see_

_All the love I'll ever need…_

* * *

**FAQ**

_How many chapters do you intend on writing?_

I'm not sure— my writing varies. Hopefully, I don't reach 40, because by then the story would probably be boring. I'm planning to write throughout the whole year of their so-called marriage, so maybe 20 or 30?

_You mentioned in Chapter 8 about a fairytale of three. Does that mean Ruka is expected between Natsume and Mikan?_

I don't hope to spoil the plot, because when I wrote that line, I actually have no idea why. For one, I don't want the things to be wonderful, and go for a downfall when a third party sprouts in. I think it has gone pretty common. So I guess, what would become of that line is more a surprise for me than you all!

_What is Nobara's role in here?_

Oh, she'll appear soon, in a chapter or two. ;)

**Author's Note**:

Let it show on the record that _Pepper_ _Lunch_ is real. Its headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan. Just to make sure that I am not claiming _Pepper_ _Lunch_ as my own. This goes as well to all of the places mentioned in this fan-fiction (Tokyo Hospital is supposedly _JR Tokyo_ _General_ _Hospital _but I was unable to edit it, so I will go with 'Tokyo Hospital' throughout the story).

_Tokyo Medical University _is a private six-year medical school.

I've only done light research and the rules of adoption are based lightly on my own country's _Child and Youth Welfare Code_. The fees mentioned in this are pieces of information I garnered from a certain website, and are actually on adopting Japanese children internationally, not locally.

_Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development _is a psychological theory used to define that moral reasoning (basis for ethical behavior) is made up of six identifiable developmental stages. The stages are not something you can skip, but not everyone can be on the same ground you're standing on. It's a little difficult to explain briefly for me, so if you're curious, you can Google it up. It's actually pretty interesting— I've seen an exam sheet first hand, and the higher the stage, the worse it is.

_Masayoshi_ _Son_ is 48-year-old Japanese who is ranked first by Forbes in _Japan's Richest_, with a net worth of $7 billion. He is chief executive of _Softbank_, Japan's leading internet and telecom-services company.

_Yohji Yamamoto _is an internationally known Japanese designer based in Tokyo and Paris.

_Apple Sickness_ is real, and like my OC Masuyo said, it is called _Fifth_ _Disease_ to the rest of us (Japan's the only country, as far as I can remember, who calls it _Apple_ _Sickness_). It's most notable symptom is the reddening of cheeks.

_SCD_ is the abbreviation of _Sickle Cell Disease_, also known as _Drepanocytosis_, a genetic blood disorder caused by red blood cells that take in a sickle (half-moon) shape. Life expectancy is shortened: 42 for males and 48 for females.

You can say that my Biology lessons, dropping by dad's office and researching on things that will never serve my education any good really paid off. ;)

By the way, I'll be setting aside _Loved by Law _for a week or two to update on my other stories. :D


	12. Feelings Show

**Dedication: **This is mostly for _justanotherfanofyours_. In lieu of GARCA '10, she nominated Loved by Law as Story of the Year. I understand that I won't even get through the nomination, but to be considered by a reader is a flattering move for me. I never considered Loved by Law to even be worthy of nomination, and I welled up inside the moment I saw my name.

My gratitude toher and to everyone else who got this far in this story, you are all loved. :)

* * *

_**Chapter XII: Feelings Show**_

_What I'm trying to say is that__  
__I'm feeling a change and__  
__I'll let it take all over__  
__If you need time away__  
__I won't ask you to stay__  
__But I don't want to lose you__  
__Love is crazy__, p__retty baby__, t__ake it real slow__…_

_(Colbie Caillat)_

* * *

**I**t was barely seven in the morning, and the moment she greeted the caller 'hello', Mikan knew something that's about to happen isn't to her favor.

Two minutes later, it was confirmed.

She was right.

Her class adviser, Mr. Noda, was saying something about Family Day, and all Mikan could think about was, _This cannot be happening to me_.

As soon as he finished explaining, Mikan scuttled off her seat and to the door, catching Mr. Noda just before he bid farewell.

"Ms. Sakura?"

"I…uh…about Family Day?"

"Yes. It's on Saturday."

She stumbled over her words. "Yeah, I... I was just wondering…"

"Hmm?"

"Is it, uh, well, possible to not go?"

Mr. Noda's voice went sympathetic. "It's mandatory. Family Day is a yearly thing for the school; it's not something you can decide not to go to. The school institutes a—"

"Yes, sir, I know," Mikan cut through him. "But you must be aware of my family background, it's not exactly the happy type where I have someone to go to the park with every weekend."

There was probably a small cheerless smile on Mr. Noda's lips, she could imagine. "I know. I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can't do about it. Like I said, the event is mandatory. We treasure family support here, but you also know that there are consequences if you don't attend."

"But that's insane! I mean, I'm sorry, but I've never heard of mandatory school events."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Sakura. But that's the word. Unless you want to assist your math teacher…"

Her eyes widened. "No! Oh, sorry, but, no. I'm okay. I will be attending the event." She added as an acerbic afterthought. "Alone." She turned, and just before she glumly said goodbye, Mr. Noda said;

"I'm really sorry."

She shrugged, even though he couldn't see it. "I know, sir. Thank you."

But he didn't understand, and Mikan wasn't thankful.

She felt, once again, alone.

* * *

"**W**e're getting rings later," he told her, but Mikan was still ignoring him. He shook his head. He was driving them both to Alice Firms. Once Ruka understood that Natsume wouldn't dare overtake or drive past the require speed limit when Mikan's in the same car, he decided to let the chauffer go. Secretly, Natsume was planning to have Mikan get a license after she graduates from high school, and he can buy her a car. It's a win-win idea, seeing as he would also be free to _occasionally _go a meter or two from the usual speed limit.

Occasionally.

Mikan turned her attention outside. People were just stirring up from their Friday slumber to welcome a Saturday. She had brought along her homework and a couple of books just in case she manages to nail some of Ruka's work early.

Deciding for another approach, Natsume said, "If you get your work done early, you can ask Imai to accompany you to see Hijiri."

The sudden rise for the young boy sparked Mikan's interest. She wasn't really annoyed at Natsume. It was just some five-minute irk, but she liked playing around with him.

"And then I'm taking you to _Pepper Lunch_."

_Yes_, she screamed to herself. It was getting good.

"We can even buy clothes for Kimi."

Still keeping up with the act, she quirked a brow towards him. "Normally, only dogs play dress-up."

"Kimi's not normal, is she?" He knew she was spoiling her, but for some reason, he knew the things he'd do for her are worth it.

A little while later, she asked, "May I choose the rings? Please?"

"Yes," Natsume shifted his glance on her before turning back on the road. "If you promise to do all your work in time."

"You know I will."

"Which therefore, is assumed that you _will_ choose the rings."

_Yes_, she cheered inside.

"By the way, will you do me a favor? In that compartment, there's a book."

She reached out for it and scrambled for a rather thick colorful book entitled, _The Most Beautiful Places in the World_.

"Close your eyes."

"What?" she asked skeptically.

"Close your eyes. You're not the one driving so it's safe."

She glanced at him questionably before closing her eyes with a sigh.

"Alright, now choose a random page."

"A random page?" she asked.

"A random page," he confirmed.

She flicked through the pages twice before stopping at one. "Am I allowed to open my eyes now?" After his confirmation, she read aloud the page her hands halted on. "Verona, Italy."

* * *

**H**otaru waited for Anna to come with the kid. She was tapping her fingers against the table, watching the digital clock blink to the next minute. Seeing a plain white folder on one side, she was reminded of her conversation a day ago with a particular partner.

She had raised an eyebrow when Natsume himself walked to her office without knocking. Not that she expected any less from him; he always liked to piss her off, even until present.

"She's meeting up with Hijiri and you're taking her."

He had dropped a folder on her desk, but Hotaru remained on her seat and gestured a the file; "What's this?"

"Luna Koizumi. Age, 37. Owner of _Ai Ringgu Sho_—"

"The woman who started the news about you and your deranged client?"

Natsume had held an exasperated sigh. "_Yes_."

She had gone for bluntness; going slow with Natsume Hyuuga was never an option. "The most I can do is suing her anonymously. Murder is not yet a choice unless you want to make it come out as suicide."

"You might be surprised because I'm not going to have her killed or maimed."

Hotaru had then crossed her legs and leaned against her chair. "Sit," she had commanded.

* * *

**N**atsume knew that there was something troubling her, and he was pretty sure that this time, it's not his fault.

He hoped.

He took a quick glance to her direction. He thought he finally caught her attention earlier, but he was proven wrong. He cleared his throat but she took no heed. He did so, again, but she ignored. After his fourth try, he finally asked, "Anything wrong?" _Of course there is_, he told himself.

Mikan sighed, and then shrugged. "My teacher called about my Math test. I didn't answer the seven items and I'm not too sure with the ones I _did_ answer, but he said I need to make up.."

She didn't want to tell him about Family Day. She knew his work, and she was the one who scheduled Ruka's appointments. The next Saturday, the three senior partners are going to collaborate with a firm for a venture fault between two big companies. Natsume, technically, is family, but she couldn't have him sacrifice such an important work for a petty school event. Besides, her friends were more than eager to squeeze her in with their families and the activities.

He wanted to ask her what bothered her. He wanted to remind her that he's twenty-four, not forty, meaning he was not a decade off from high school yet, but given that, there were indeed times when he just didn't want to talk to anyone.

But then again, this is _Mikan Sakura_. Most of the time, she never clammed her mouth shut.

Opting for another style of cajoling, he said, "Ruka's gone to a last-minute conference. You're free in the afternoon."

"Okay."

"You can visit Hijiri before you start work. He's in Imai's office right now."

Her eyes suddenly shone when she turned to Natsume. "Really? At this time? I can talk to him?"

"If you get him to talk to you, you'll get to choose the rings an hour earlier than planned."

Natsume knew he said the right thing, because as soon as they arrived, Mikan ran to the stairs and to Hotaru's office, not having the patience to wait for the elevators. When he got to their floor, he saw Mikan fretting with her hair.

"Do I look alright?"

His eyebrows met. "Why do you bother?"

"Because You-chan might end up on our hands, and I have to look at least mature."

"You're okay," he said briefly. "Just knock and Imai will let you in. I'll go through some files and we'll go. And don't do anything that'll scare the kid off."

Mikan scowled. "If anything, he'll probably end up cowering in your presence."

"No," Natsume said smoothly. "He's going to want to grow up like me."

"No," she argued stubbornly. "Nobody wants to be like you. You have no life. I, on the other hand, have one. He's going to want to be like me— friendly."

"He's going to want to be like me— cool."

She scoffed. "You were cool eight years ago."

He flicked her forehead. "Just get inside."

* * *

**A**oi was still on the move. Sure, she knew Natsume and Ruka were working on looking for Mikan's mother, but she almost had it with the florist. She was so close. She just needed to prod even more, which she did, but what was _even _more frustrating than the fact that the person who sent Mikan flowers to the hospital not only used cash and employed Mikan's name but also called from their phone!

And in all honesty, it was just damn impossible, because if Aoi can be sure of one thing with the flowers, Mikan couldn't have sent it to herself, because at that time, she hasn't got money to spend on get-well-soon flowers and she couldn't have known she'd land on the hospital hours later.

"Ms. Hyuuga!" Her tutor scolded her, and Aoi scrambled for her pens. If she had a choice, she would rather her tutoring start a little later, but her mother's as persistent as a mule is stubborn. Plus, school ends in less than four weeks.

But still, as she simplified a complicated expression, part of her thoughts lingered to Mikan and her mother.

* * *

**M**ikan loved Youichi Hijiri the very moment she laid her eyes on him… only he didn't like her back.

_For now_, she told herself.

Hotaru wasn't paying attention at all, or, if she was, she didn't spare them a glance. She had only asked the kid a variety of 'yes' and 'no' questions, which mainly focused on if anyone was giving him a hard time or if he's hungry. He answered no to all her questions, unsurprisingly, including 'Do you want to go home?'

"I don't have much time," Mikan was saying, "I have to go back to work in a while. But I really wish you'd talk to me."

Youichi remained impassive.

"You _do _know I'm the one adopting you, aren't you?"

Nod.

"Just checking. Uh, Youichi, see, I'm going to get married to a very kind man—" She heard Hotaru snort "— and we want you to stay with us. It doesn't mean your parents don't want you, okay? They're just… at the meantime, they can't have you."

No reaction.

"Right." Mikan sighed and slumped. She glanced at Hotaru who had a smirk on her lips. Scowling, she plopped down the floor, heaving. A little while later, she heard a similar yet slighter thump. She turned to her left, and saw that Youichi had done the same. She asked, "Want to go to McDonald's later?"

She didn't expect him to say anything, so she somewhat watched through her peripheral vision if he'd nod, shake his head, or shrug. It was to her surprise when he breathed out a soft, "Okay."

Mikan didn't stop bragging for a full five minutes to just about everyone in the whole floor, barging through offices and earning their small smiles (or in Natsume's case, an amused, but smile-less, quirk of the brow) until she went back to Hotaru's office, only to have her bluntly say, "He's not allowed out."

Mikan and Youichi scowled at her.

Hotaru waved their expressions off. "He can't go out. It's lucky he's even here, but I'm his technical lawyer so I have legal holding of him. You, on the other hand, are not authorized." When Mikan opened her mouth, Hotaru cut her words. "And _no_, I'm not taking his out with you."

"You can be so cruel sometimes, you know that?" Mikan muttered, and then turned to Youichi. "Don't listen to her, You-chan. She's a cranky lady. I'm going to kidnap you out of here."

"_No_, Mikan." Hotaru said firmly.

"Aw, come on!" Mikan whined. "He's _five_. I'm _eighteen_. I'm legal!"

"Yes, which means it can be considered kidnapping, and a kidnapper by the age of eighteen above is considered of age, therefore legal proceedings are in order, meaning you can go to jail."

"I'm just taking him to McDonald's!"

"Just order take-out."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"He's five, he's seen someone killed, he's seen his babysitter ra— _harassed_," she immediately corrected her words due to the kid's presence, "His life has been drained of all that's fun."

Mikan crossed her arms, but there was a thoughtful look on her face. "You're so much like Natsume, you know?"

"Hyuuga?" she scoffed. "He's a train wreck with a stick shoved so hard up on his—"

"Alright, fine!" Mikan rolled her eyes. "You're nothing like him. Happy?" She turned to Youichi and patted his cheek lightly. "I have to go now, You-chan. I'll see you lunch, okay?"

"Go away before he opens his mouth and sounds come out."

Mikan drew out her tongue at Hotaru playfully before walking to the door. Just as she was about to close it behind her, she poked her head in; "It's Japanese Flag Day, hmm?"

"I'm calling Nogi to tell him that his secretary is—"

"I'm going! I'm going!"

* * *

**N**atsume blinked at the life-size doll forced on his face. That is, until 'it' blinked back, and he realized that 'it' was actually a 'he'.

"Mikan?" Natsume asked carefully. "What…?"

Mikan's head popped from behind Youichi's. "We're both hungry and we'd really like to eat at McDonald's but Hotaru's being an antagonist."

"I can't do anything about that."

She sighed and finally put Youichi down from her hands. She watched him flap his arms due to his aching armpits. "Take-outs then." She ruffled Youichi's hair before heading for the phone, ignoring the scowl. "Sorry, little guy, all the lawyers are sticklers to the rule book."

As Mikan ordered for everyone, Youichi was sitting up on the carpet, his eyes blankly staring at Natsume. He didn't mind at first, until he realized that the kid remained unmoving.

He put his pen down before asking him, "Yes?"

The kid blinked.

His brows rose. "Something wrong?"

Blink.

"You have to speak somehow. It's rude to stare at people."

Youichi's gaze drifted to Mikan's direction, and Natsume's eyes unconsciously followed. He realized then that Mikan was reflexively gazing at him while she bit her lower lip. The McDonald's employee was repeating her order and she didn't even notice.

Natsume smirked. "Rude," he said.

Mikan's cheeks warmed up and abruptly turned her back on him.

* * *

**A**oi took a deep breath before grabbing the phone again. She pushed the buttons and waited for someone to answer. "Good afternoon. This is Aoi Hyuuga. Is Dr. Subaru Imai free at the moment? It's a family emergency. Thank you."

"_Is my sister dead?"_

"No."

"_Did karma finally hang her by her feet at the edge of a cliff?"_

"No."

"_Then what is this 'family emergency' you speak of? I only have a fifteen-minute lunch break, so you better make this quick."_

"Yuka Azumi Sakura." She went for bluntness. "Any trails?"

"_No. I've been keeping tabs with my colleagues transferred in other hospitals. None of her for the last few months."_

"That rules out the pregnancy theory, then."

"_Pregnancy theory?"_

"Yeah. I was thinking that the reason she couldn't be around was because she had another family, or a baby, and she can't move around or something."

"_Sorry to fail you, then, because as far as I know, there is not a Yuka Azumi Sakura who's gotten pregnant, and she can't lie about her name."_

"I know. Talk to you soon. I'm hiding in a closet. My tutor's killing me, honestly. I didn't know someone out there's worse than my Math teacher."

Though Hotaru and Natsume were often at each other's throats in a, as they both put it, 'mature' way, Subaru and Aoi always went along well, almost as good as she and Ruka.

"_Ring me if you trip and crack your skull. I accept home calls if the fees are doubled."_

"Oh, ha, ha, what a joker."

* * *

**M**ikan droned while Natsume drove; she was telling him stories about Youichi which she had shared more than once. Youichi didn't speak or do much, but frankly, Natsume didn't mind much. If the kid was all he needed to keep her going, well, he might consider speeding up the adoption process even more. When she stopped, Natsume curiously turned to her direction.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I knew I'm telling the story again and again, but I'm a little nervous."

Surprised that she even admitted she was anxious, he assured her it was alright. He pulled his car right in front of _Ai Ringu Shoppu_.

Mikan sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway. We're here." She put on a bright smile. "And I'm choosing our engagement rings!"

He didn't say anything about the 'our' part. Admittedly, he had no intention of wearing a ring on his hand, at least until the marriage that would be publicly known. He locked the car and followed her out. Most of the time, Mikan let him open the car door for her, but whenever she was in one of her extra jovial moods, like when visiting his parents, she wanted to get out of the car as soon as possible.

As he watched her eagerly bouncing on her feet, waiting for him to fall in step with her to the shop, he wondered that if anyone ever told him a month ago that they would be like _this_, he would have scowled.

He didn't know what to expect anymore.

Mikan was someone he didn't expect to fancy being with. Not in the flirtatious relationship outlook. To him, Mikan is a bundle of joy, a mix between his own sister and a newborn baby. She would always find things to talk about to uplift an atmosphere in the dumps, always knowing the right words to say when even he couldn't gather the right words, and that was saying something. Natsume didn't talk much, admittedly, but when he has something to say, being a lawyer has its perks and instinctual actions.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked, pulling him inside the empty store. He had a hand in it, of course, but she didn't need to know that.

He shrugged. "Depends on what color you think my eyes are."

She immediately scowled and her hands dropped to her sides. "That's not fair. I've never seen the real color of your eyes before, and to be honest, that's coming out as odd if reporters ask me if you're albino." She paused. "Unless you really _do _have albinism and you and Aoi are lying to the whole world."

"I am not suffering from albinism." He pushed his hands on the pockets of his suit pants. It was a conversation they've had many times before.

Mikan playfully tugged on his cufflinks. "The only people with red eyes are albinos, and they only have red eyes because their irises are incredibly light blue that the lack of color doesn't block the reflections of the veins and blood vessels at the back of the eye!"

Natsume stared at her for a moment. "You posted that on Yahoo! Answers and demanded for an optician to answer you, didn't you?"

She looked appalled by what he said. "No! That question was asked six months ago!"

"Right."

"Seriously, what _is _your favorite color?"

He eyed her warily and blurted the first color that came into mind when he saw the flash of eye-popper on Mikan's ears. "Red."

"You are so full of it."

Baffled, he asked, "Pardon?"

"You just picked the color of your contacts." She rolled his eyes. "Arrogant, still, hmm? I always thought you were a Dark Prince, not a Vampire Lord."

His eyebrows rose at that stance she have always found cool, even before the whole charade. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything," she put her hands over his mouth. She glanced around the shop. "People might think I'm actually engaged to a madman."

"And I'm the one who thought of Dark Princes and Vampire Lords?"

Mikan ignored him and bounced to the counter before pressing the bell.

"Just a second!" a voice from the back of the store came. After a few tapping of shoes, a flick on the forehead and two rounds of thumb wrestling, Luna Koizumi hastily tied her hair as she ducked through the door. "Good afternoon, Mr. Hyuuga and… guest. How may I help you today?"

Mikan's face scrunched up at the word 'guest' and her addition of 'How may I help you today?', as if entering a ring shop was something Natsume did everyday.

Luna laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. Silly me, seeing as your name's been in the news of the business section for a while."

_Not to mention the tabloids_, Mikan added bitterly to her mind.

Natsume shook Luna's hand, to which the latter replied with, "Usually, men don't take their females to buy engagement rings. Are you here for wedding bands?"

"No," Natsume answered for the both of them. "It's a sort of make-up proposal regarding the things that happened here last month."

Mikan was actually expecting Luna to eye her with equal distaste and was less than eager to find out the woman's probable pins pointed all over a puppet that looks like her at the back of the store, so she was surprised when Luna gave her a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry about that," Luna smiled sadly, and though it was Natsume talking to her, she directed it to Mikan. "I didn't know I was an inch to destroying a wonderful relationship." She reached for Mikan's hands, who tried not to scream bloody murder because she was still convinced Luna's about to drag her back and cook her to some exotic meal. "Especially these days. It's difficult to find a good man you'd want to settle down with."

Mikan's gaze travelled to Natsume's, who was eyeing everywhere and nowhere. When he caught her staring, his eyes did all the asking: What? She felt her cheeks warming up and looked away.

Luna, however, took the action as romantic. "That's so adorable," she cooed, lightly pinching Mikan's cheeks. "You're a lucky lady, Ms. Sakura. You _do _know that, don't you?"

Her eyes dropped to the ground, and Mikan wished she let her hair down when they got off Alice Firms, because she was quite sure she looked like a tomato; she was doing that a lot today.

She resisted replying: _I know_.

* * *

**N**atsume apparently forgot a couple of files he was supposed to work on that night, so he told Mikan that he'd go back for it and she should order from Pepper Lunch instead of eating out, just for the night.

Instead, twenty-two minutes later, Mikan found herself frowning at the Tofu Burger recipe and at her reddening finger.

How on earth was she supposed to know that cooking tofu is dangerous?

Of course, that did not mean she should've poked the tofu to check if it's cooked but in her defense, she didn't know the tofu was _that _squishy!

Mikan didn't even know why she was bothering. Natsume had given her enough money to pay a _Pepper Lunch_ cook for one day, but here she was, in his— _their _kitchen, trying to be Master Chef when she could barely hold a knife without having paranoid thoughts.

_Why am I doing this anyway? _She asked herself gruffly. _I've already given him enough thanks._

At the thought, her mind sent her back to almost an hour ago, when they have just found the, as she put it, "perfect red engagement ring". It was more like rhubarb when the lights hit the precious stone, which was enclosed at the side with two small diamonds. She wanted Natsume to get one but he said he didn't need it, so she pouted at him. Still, he did not give in, but promised that the wedding bands would be better, if not, the best. That got Luna talking and listening attentively, occasionally asking about when the wedding was and where they were planning to have their honeymoon. After paying and they were walking to his car, Mikan wanted to show him how really thankful she is for his efforts, and gave him a soft peck on the cheek.

If she's to marry the twenty-four-year-old son of a lawyer and a tycoon at eighteen years, the state to their relationship is expected to be, as Sumire put it, "sickeningly yet childishly romantic".

She was tending her finger while she one-handedly tried to fix up the tofu burger, the easiest she could find as all it required was stuffing the ingredients between the bread and the option of toasting the tofu. The rolls were a little on the toasty side, the radish cut into an unbelievable size and she suspected she put in too much cheddar cheese. It looked nothing like the photograph attached to the recipe, but after tasting bits from her trial burger, it wasn't that bad, considering it was technically her first.

Her first burger, going straight to Natsume Hyuuga's mouth (and hopefully not the toilet).

She never would have dreamed of it.

Just as she was forcing the top bun to stay put and preventing the sprouts from bouncing off, she heard Natsume's car pulling on the driveway. Panicking, she started reaching for the garbage, throwing it on the bin, grabbing the utensils, dropping it off the sink, trying to wipe the mess of the counter. She didn't feel like serving it on the table. It didn't look too table-worthy.

She heard the door click, the scuffing of his shoes against the carpet, and the light drape of his coat on the couch with his suitcase. At the last minute, she spotted the bottle of honey mustard perched upside-down on the counter but in her haste, she tripped on her own feet, tried to reach for the sturdiest thing she could grasp but instead landed on her butt with alfalfa sprouts and cheddar cheese on her hair. She vaguely heard her cat whimper.

"Is this a bad time?" Natsume was obviously trying not to laugh at her expense.

She huffed.

* * *

**A/N **I hope I did the chapter/song title justice. Like all of you, I want them to start falling for each other, but I had to keep it in check. Although in real life some people fall for someone easily, you have to keep in mind that Natsume and Mikan did not hitch it off without difficulty the first time they met, and they are (technically, _were_) forced to marry each other for her mother's house and his reputation. To their eyes, the other is nothing but an acquaintance, so I'm keeping it all to a minimum for the moment.

Some authors do it and though I'm not one to join the crowd, here's the thing. If you're the first person to guess this bit right, I will dedicate the next chapter to you and I will post it sooner than my typical 'soon' as cherry on the ice cream.

Here's what you have to guess: _What's with Verona, Italy_? I mean, yes, I know it's the infamous home of Shakespearean characters Romeo and Juliet (and while we're on the same page, if you have time, do check _Sk8r Boi, _another GA story of mine under the theme of music and art set in the wonderful city of London) but what's the lovely Tokyo, Japan versions has to do with it?

I said too much.

Any road, all your clues are in this chapter. So I guess you have to dissect this up, hmm? ;-)

**Disclaimer: **_The Most Beautiful Places in the World_, _Pepper Lunch, Yahoo! Answers and the whole nine yards._

**PS **I'm not doing this for review purposes. A review would be nice, yes, but not for that reason. I don't even trust myself to have people comment on that bit. I just want to be familiar with my readers' train of thoughts. So please, no anonymous PMs sent through networking sites. I posted those sites I'm afflicted with so I can be closer to FFN writers beyond this part of the cyber world and not to have people bash me and ruin my day. And honestly? I don't think you would've reached this far if you didn't like my writing. You should've closed the tab when you were in chapter one. :-)

**PPS **Love, sent! :-D


	13. Like My Mother Does

**Dedication: **Tothose who nominated for _Loved by Law _in GARCA '10. Thank you so much, I was really pleased when I saw my story popped on the nominations. :) I know it sounds more like a popularity contest (excuse me for being blunt, but it really does sound like one) but to think that something I wrote would even show up on a list on par with my favorite reads… that's an exhilarating feeling. It's like being on the same table with Harry Potter. :D Or better yet, like Neville Longbottom after the War. Thumbs up if you "get" the reference.

*The dedication regarding _Verona, Italy _will not be for this chapter but roughly, the 16th chapter, I'd say. That's when I'm planning to tell about that. ;)

* * *

_**Chapter XIII: Like My Mother Does**_

_People always say I have a laugh__  
__Like my mother does__  
__Guess that makes sense__  
__She taught me how to smile when things get rough__…_

_(Kristy Lee Cook)_

* * *

"_**N**__o_, Natsume, I am not going to play pass the message with you and your wife."

Natsume scowled.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not my fault you've got the emotional and compassionate range of half a teaspoon." Aoi waved him off as she tried to dedicate her attention to her art project, which was difficult with her brother emitting his impenetrably (or perhaps not _that _impenetrable) dark aura behind her.

She's been staying for a week, sleeping in Natsume's room as her technical room is now Mikan's. It was getting boring, in her house, especially since all she's been doing is eat and sleep and do work, since there was an all-around housecleaner appointed after school resumed. Natsume really didn't mind, until that Friday afternoon.

"You're just going to ask her what's wrong." Natsume said. "She's been either jumpy or awfully talkative when we're alone, it's getting on my nerves."

Aoi frowned for a moment, tapping her mechanical pencil against her chin. Then, she gestured around like she had a bright idea. "Did you ask her if you finally got her pregnant? Hey— _ow_! Jeez, can't take a joke?"

"Be serious, Aoi."

"I _am _serious! Ow! Stop it, will you?"

Natsume ignored her protests and kept on flicking her forehead, unfazed by Aoi's pathetic actions of slapping his hands away. He checked on his watch. "I'm fetching Mikan from school. And for Pete's sake, don't burn down my house."

Before he rounded the corner out of the study, Aoi was already tugging on her flats. She jumped on his back with her beanie between her teeth. She let out a muffled, "You're taking me!"

He acted as if his sister weighed nothing, to save himself, although his back was getting a little achy. Aoi was neither light nor heavy, but the fact that he's been crouched all day peering over the files for the conference he'd go with the other two senior partners did not help his sister or his back.

The whole car drive to Mikan's high school, Aoi was babbling about her big plans for her art project that would most possibly pave way for a senior spot on the student council and the theatre department. However, he was only half-listening. His mind was on Mikan's late behavior.

When they arrived, Mikan was so jumpy, even Natsume got all tensed. Aoi took pity on Natsume's feeble attempts and tried to make Mikan talk to her but she was clammed up and would talk about the weather, her grades, that day's lessons and if Kimi would eat dog food if it was put on her bowl.

Natsume had been sending Aoi looks through the mirror, which his sister would either shrug or bite her lip at.

Aoi uncomfortably excused herself and rushed to the study, sharing a look with Natsume that told him to fix whatever was up. Mikan fumbled to the kitchen, muttering about smoothies and exploding blenders.

Mikan was handling the kitchen well, which was indeed saying something. However, when he leaned against the counter to watch her slicing the strawberries (a feat he was surprised she was doing as the hated knives), she got frustrated and accidentally cut herself.

"Oh, _Kami_, no," she cried, covering her eyes with her one hand, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die! I'm going to need tetanus shots and it won't work and I'm going to die at eighteen and I'm—"

"Oh, for god's sake," Natsume muttered as he pulled her blooding finger to the sink with the running water. "Man up, you're not going to die."

"I'm not a man!" She wailed.

Aoi stomped to the kitchen. "What on earth is all this— oh, crap, Natsume, why are you killing her?"

"Shut up." Natsume scowled at his sister before going back to the task at hand. "Honestly, how can you forget you hate knives?"

"I was hungry," Mikan whimpered and peered through her fingers. "I'm going to die, Natsume! You're no bloody doctor, take me to Dr. Imai!"

"Take her to Dr. Imai, Natsume, she's going to die!" Aoi piped from behind, obviously mocking Natsume.

"Aoi…" He sent her a warning glance. He rubbed the mild soap on Mikan's hand, ignoring her feeble cries. He knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. He reached for the small first aid kit and took out a band aid.

Aoi was raking over his shoulders and snorted. "Polka dots?"

Suddenly, Mikans cries stopped and a grin spread across her mouth. "I didn't know you liked polka dots, Natsume!"

* * *

"**I**'ve got a trail."

Natsume made sure that Mikan was in her room before ushering Ruka to the study, where Aoi was sewing together scraps of cloths for her patchwork. She looked up and frowned;

"If you're planning to make out here, you've probably forgotten about my presence."

The two men, however, ignored her.

"From where?" Natsume asked, leaning against a bookshelf.

Ruka took out a brown envelope. "Right here. Tokyo, Japan." He showed his partner a file with a photo of a man attached on the left corner. "Kazu Yukihara. Brother to Izumi Yukihara. Husband of Yuka Azumi. Uncle to Mikan Sakura."

"Wait," Aoi butt in, voicing out Natsume's questions, "Why is her name Sakura if her mother's a Yukihara?"

"His father changed his name before he married Yuka Azumi," Ruka explained. He flipped through the papers. "Yukihara Senior disinherited him when he married a young woman who's got none of the special background he was hoping."

"And the bungalow?" Natsume pressed.

"That was left to him by Kazu Yukihara's wife before she died. She and Yuka Azumi passed conversations every now and then. The papers were lied to as to avoid the inconvenience, especially by Yukihara Senior."

There was a lingering question which Aoi, once again, took the liberty to ask. "Do you think Yuka Azumi's staying with Kazu Yukihara?"

Ruka shrugged. "I couldn't check. I'm a lawyer, not a private investigator, remember?" Natsume rolled his eyes at that. "It's possible, but we can't be too sure. Yukihara Senior is alive and kicking but apparently he's completely denied that he has, or rather _had_, a son named Izumi." He paused a little before throwing an asking quirk of a brow towards his partner; "Do you want to go alone or do you want to take…?"

"No," Natsume exclaimed tersely, which made his sister jerk up from her patchwork so sudden that she accidentally poked her finger with a sharp needle. "I can't take Mikan."

"Why not?" Aoi argued and furiously threw her project on the desk. The pin cushion bounced and rolled on the floor. "This is her family. You only told her that you'll be helping with her mother, not prod on her apparently complicated family!"

"Aoi," Natsume exclaimed exasperatedly, "if you find out your grandparents disinherited your father—"

"What does it matter?" She snorted. "I hate them anyway, and they hate everyone besides you!"

"No kidding…" Ruka muttered. His company, too, was not appreciated by Grandmother Hyuuga.

Natsume shot him a 'not-helping' glance. "Not to her. She treasures her family, and when her father died and her mother completely vanished from her sights, she was sure she closely had no family. How would you feel, that after being in an orphanage for more than half of your current life, it turns out that you have a big-ass rich family out there who only refuses to take you in because of their goddamn pride?"

They were both gawking after Natsume's long conversation until he snapped his fingers. Aoi shook her head. "Mikan can handle that."

"You're sixteen, Aoi," he sighed, more in vexation rather than habit of sighing. "And you understand the world of money and pride better than her. What Mikan knows is the inner life. She's caged between her countryside scenery and refuses to believe that a godforsaken—"

"Alright," Aoi put her hands high, "Alright. I get it. Tell me what I need to do."

They were siblings, after all.

* * *

**M**ikan and Kimi were on the headboard edge of Natsume's bed, flounced on his pillows. Her lips were pursed, her eyes danced towards his direction but never his eyes and he noticed that instead of stroking the cat's fur, she was gripping it too hard.

Not wanting to wait for the cat to graze her, though, he acknowledged it and was more or less surprised when she scowled.

He was no woman but he at least knew that a scowl on a woman (moreover, his technical and lawful wife) is never a good sign.

"Did I do anything wrong?" He finally asked, dodging out of his closet and throwing down the handful of ties.

Mikan looked away. "I know your schedule."

He frowned. "Excuse me?"

"That's not business." And then, she added in a quick mutter, "But you'd probably let Nobara Ibaragi go with you."

"I—"

"_Yes, Natsume_," she pressed, "You would."

"What's the matter?" He asked in frustration and confusion. "I've always gone to overnight matters and you never had a problem with that."

"It's not business!" Mikan cried, making Kimi yelp and leap off the bed. She took a deep breath. "You know what? Never mind." Throwing off the sheets and accidentally creased the suit he took out to brush, as he put it, a 'cleaner look' to where he was going (which she still doubt was a date with this Nobara person), Mikan stomped out of the room, her black house flats doing little noise she wanted to.

A nanosecond after Mikan's bedroom doors slammed close, he heard another door, most probably the study, creak open. He turned to his closet to scavenger for a pair of shoes and when he turned back, Aoi was leaning against the jamb.

"Problems in paradise?"

* * *

"**G**ood afternoon Mrs. Midori, is Kina around?" Mikan waited for confirmation. "Yes, please, and thank you."

There was a soft knock on the door but she ignored it, knowing all to well that a soft rapid knock is not Aoi's.

"Hi, Kina."

"_Mikan!"_

"_Hey, is that Mikan?"_

"_Kina, stop hogging the phone!"_

Mikan had to laugh at her friends, albeit a rather sad one.

"_Uh-oh," _she recognized Saki's voice. _"That's not a very happy laugh. You're not fooling us, Mikan."_

"_Troubles in paradise?" _Mayumi asked in a stage-whisper.

Mikan popped her lip; "Nope."

"_Look who learned how to lie, girls!" _Kina told the other two. _"Why are you not here, anyway? I thought you were going to ask that future husband of yours to drive you over?"_

"Sorry about that," Mikan mumbled. "He can't. He has work and I need to man the fort."

"_And I was thinking what's-his-name again? Your boss? I thought he has a softer heart? Please tell me not all lawyers are heartless."_

"_What, Mayumi, you're actually buying this?"_

"_Say what?"_

"_Mikan's lying!"_

"I am not lying!" Mikan completely denied, and Saki echoed her;

"_Mikan's not lying!"_

There was another knock.

"_Right. I've seen them everyday since half of January and there's no way he's not going to let her go."_

"I told you, he's busy."

Another knock came, and Natsume's voice rumbled from the other side, "Please let me in."

"_Okay, you know what?"_

"_No, what?"_

"_I bet there's another woman."_

"_Mayumi! Don't say that!"_

"Let me in, Mikan."

"Go away, Natsume!"

"_Ooh, see? I told you! He's got another woman. I'm betting you my whole month's allowance."_

"_Your allowance is not even something to boast about, Mayumi. You're grounded after sneaking out, remember?"_

"_Oh, shut up. I told you already, I've seen enough movies and those American shows my sister watches twenty-four-seven. When the guys act weird, that means there's another woman."_

"_That's not even a legitimate reason!"_

Natsume knocked again. "If you don't open this in three seconds, I'm using the key."

"Crap." She put the phone on loudspeaker and ran to push her dresser against the door just as she heard him fumble with his keys.

"_Hey, what are you doing?"_

"_Are you moving furniture?"_

"_Hmm… moving furniture so he'll be tripping his way in the house? Slick move, Sakura."_

"_So, suddenly, you all agree with my theory? I told you he's cheating on her!"_

"Excuse me?"

Obviously, Natsume heard that.

"_I didn't say that!"_

Mikan knew her face was as red as the untouched apples on her bedside table Aoi had given her since she skipped dinner. Who knew a phone conversation can be heard from the other side? A conversation, more particularly, on the subject himself!

"_You are _so _thinking about it! Admit it, guys, you think he's got the hots for another woman but you're all too nice to say it out loud yourself."_

"I'm not with a woman other than you, you know."

"He said he's not going out with another woman, should I believe him? Oh, crap." Mikan slapped herself. How impulsive can she be? Especially when he called her a woman and not a young girl, couldn't she have reached for the phone instead?

"I'm your husband, Mikan."

She pushed the dresser, drowning her friends' arguing voices, and made sure that the chain attached to the door was pinned on the wall before she flung it open. She whispered furiously, "They don't know that, and stop interrupting my phone conversation."

"You're being rude."

"And so are you! You're cheating on me when we agreed we won't see anyone else over this whole thing!" She closed the door and realized that her friends had become silent over the whole fight.

"_I'm sorry, guys, but it's a little over a hunch. I vote he's dating a secretary. After all, he's always working, so he must see his employees a lot."_

"_You're still convinced he's got another woman? Stop it already."_

"_They're fighting!"_

"We're not fighting! We have a misunderstanding!"

"Then perhaps you'd listen to me," Natsume's gruff voice went.

"Shut up, Natsume!" Mikan screamed, pounding hard on the door in emphasis. "Just shut up!"

"_Err. Okay, we'll see you tomorrow. Bye!"_

"_Bye, Mikan!"_

"_Sorry about all this. I'll hit Mayumi on the head for you. Bye!"_

Not a moment long, Natsume's stiff voice asked, "Did they hang up already?"

She didn't say a word but instead slid the chain off and hurled herself to her bed with her face pressed against the pillows. She heard the door open and close, his footsteps got closer and felt the bed dip.

"I understand you're furious at me but that doesn't give you the liberty to be impolite." Mikan did not comment, so he went on. "You're angry for some reason and you've been acting odd for the whole week. You do know that if I can, I would be spending my time with you because I promised I would."

"You also promised me you won't cheat."

"I have no idea what you're on about so you might want to elaborate." He sighed. "I'm new to this as you are. I don't understand females because my only background is my sister and that doesn't count."

"Don't hide it. You're seeing Nobara Ibaragi!"

He opted for honesty. "Well, I _am _going to see Nobara but I'm not seeing her."

When Mikan raised her head after the one-sided muffled conversation, her eyes were streaked with tears. She irately rubbed them away, but for some unknown reason she has yet to fathom, they kept trickling down her cheeks and chin. She didn't know why she was so angry. Why did it matter anyway? Like always, he's a busy man and she's just a high school teenager.

To Natsume, it was like seeing an innocent kid cry and as much as he was more or less fuming regarding her previous actions, it made him guilty.

He may be Natsume Hyuuga and though Imai always called him heartless, he still has something pumping blood inside his body.

"You don't know Nobara," he managed to say. "Do both of us a favor and don't act like this. You're being such a child right now, Mikan, and I think you need to breathe in and out. Go around the city and I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. I'll take you out and— I don't know, I'll take you to my mother's."

"You think we'll be friends just because you'll pull the guilt card on me in front of your parents?" She gave him an unbelieving laugh, a tad cold and almost merciless.

He slowly shook his head. "I still don't…"

"You know what? I'm going to do you a favor. I'm not going to act like… all this. Just, do me a favor, too, please?" She took a deep breath. "Promise me you really will be back tomorrow, and that you won't smell like perfume because I swear, I've got two lawyers in line ready to sue you in many ways unimaginable." She then went back to bed, her back against him and the comforters tight around her.

Natsume ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not the only one with the problem here, Mikan." He kissed the back of her head only to have her wiggle away. He sighed, not the first or last time that week. "Put that in mind."

* * *

**I**t was nine o'clock and her brother has been gone only for about twenty minutes, and when she passed Mikan's bedroom ten minutes ago, Mikan was already asleep.

She heard the fight Natsume and Mikan had earlier, and unlike the squabbles and debates they had before which mainly involved which type of cat food to buy for the feline and going to bed with done homework before eleven, this time she was kind of sure it was a _real _fight, the kind you watch about in films where couples walk away from each other after having a verbal brawl.

Only, Natsume and Mikan were not exactly couples, per se.

But Aoi wasn't stupid

She pushed redial.

"Hi, this is Aoi Hyuuga. Is there someone here who knows Mikan Sakura?"

* * *

**M**ikan fiddled with the hem of her shirt as she felt herself being stared down by everyone, although they were not. Left and right, families wandered and laughed and it hurt being reminded that she, well, had none of those.

Mr. Noda had taken attendance, and indirectly told her (after all, who else would ditch Family Day?) that he would be checking again mid-morning, after lunch, and before going home. What on earth was she supposed to do for the next eight hours when almost every activity required a family member?

Her friends had gone to register their names down the family sack race. Simply put, she was alone. Her knapsack hung loose around her shoulders and she could feel the cold bottle of water against her back, and the sounds of her coins clinking against each other as she idly walked around to nowhere in particular. Stopping by a food stall, she took out her wallet and paid for something she could snack on, so she could look like she's waiting for someone instead of waiting the day to end.

That is what she hated so much about schools. Being homeschooled in the orphanage never required any of these stupid events. She didn't need to look for her mother or a relative to take to some Family Day. What they had were Saturdays, where they would be grouped according to age and going against the others, and she could still recall how she and Ken would often have to play bad just so the younger kids could win.

She didn't know if she should've told Natsume, but then again, what could he have done? Even if he rushed home from that so-called business trip, he'd still have to attend the last minutes of that meeting with Ruka and Hotaru, probably with the side-thoughts of checking if both of them are still alive and unscathed.

_Natsume's a busy man_, she told herself, _He can't keep making time for you, Mikan. Stop being a bother._

She thanked the vendor who smiled at her and turned to start waiting for the games to start.

She took a double take.

"Aoi? What are you doing here?"

Aoi waved at Mikan ecstatically and pulled an arm from behind her. Her mother.

"What…?" Mikan looked at the pair of them incredulously.

Kaoru laughed. "You didn't think we'd let you go to your school's Family Day alone, did you?"

"But how…?"

"Forget the W-H questions!" Aoi jumped. "I want to play! Is that a sack race? Let's go! See, I also got mom to forget her heels." She pointed at Kaoru's pointed leather and studded flats, which looked absolutely lost in the throng of sneakers and laces. "They're not exactly trainers, but I did the best I could, and at least she could play with us in those."

"I may be in my fifties but that doesn't mean I can't beat any of these women." Kaoru said.

"That's the spirit, mom! Now, where's Dad? Oh, there he is!"

Her eyes narrowed, Mikan followed Aoi, and her thoughts were confirmed that yes, Ioran Hyuuga in all his weak self and a nurse, was present.

"Father…" Mikan's eyes watered.

"I know," Ioran sighed deeply. "How could I possibly join the games in this, huh?"

"Oh, who cares about the games?" Mikan laughed. She flung her arms around Ioran. "Thank you so much."

"I told you, didn't I?" He whispered on her ear. "We're family. Now, why don't you get the Hyuuga name registered on a couple of games? I'm sure they wouldn't mind the surname change."

* * *

**A**fter staying up most of the time working with the work he was supposed to settle with today, Natsume was exhausted and he bet that even the coffee's antioxidants couldn't work with making him look at least his age.

He sat on the couch of the Yakuhara's, not feeling uncomfortable at all. After all, if there was anyone who should look so, it'd be the Yakuhara's. He just told Mikan's uncle that they were married but could not afford to publicized anything due to her being in high school.

It was obvious that both sides were waiting for someone to break the silence first. Natsume decided to be blunt. From his briefcase, he took out his netbook and opened a file, maximizing the sounds.

"It's a video from our private wedding," Natsume said just as the clip started playing. It was a part of the reception, and Koko was focusing the camera on the principal table where the newly weds sat. Natsume was looking a little right from the camera, at Koko, while Mikan was looking straight at the lens. Koko had said something funny and she laughed.

Kazu commented, "She has a laugh just like her mother's."

Natsume set the netbook down the table and the video continued to play. "So you know Yuka Azumi?"

"You mean Yuka Sakura," Kazu corrected him. "And of course, I know her. She's a sweet lady."

One of Natsume's flaws was his being too frank in certain cases, but in his defense, he couldn't see the point of beating around the bush in this one. "Do you know where she is?"

Kazu's expression was neutral "What do you mean, do I know where she is?"

"She's reported missing."

"I know, but since you're a lawyer, I'd want it noted that I refuse to speak unless in the presence of my own"

"I'm not accusing you," Natsume said firmly. "But Mikan's lost her father and her mother's missing. She has no family."

"You're her family, aren't you?"

He wanted to explain their situation. Regardless of the difficulty and complications of matters, Kazu Yukihara is still uncle to Mikan. But for some reason, he didn't. "Yes."

He told himself it was because she was just getting attached to him.

* * *

**A**fter an early dinner back at the Hyuuga home, Aoi decided she would stay the night with her parents. Mikan had a hard time saying she wouldn't because she still had to do something that couldn't wait until morning. When Kaoru kept saying she wouldn't hear any of it, Mikan said it was for Natsume, and finally Kaoru let her go, but she was going to be accompanied by the family chauffer.

She promised the chauffer she'd be just around the street, more because she didn't really fancy the idea of being trailed especially if it reaches any Hyuuga ears. Mikan didn't know where she was going. She was admittedly too exhausted and full, but she wanted to be able to walk around. Natsume would never let her on a place with barely a human being trotting past, so the streets are the best she could. She didn't mind much either. If she was somewhere alone, she'd probably be going all emotional by thinking too much into everything.

A floral stand caught her eye as she trudged down. Bright colors were so alive, she couldn't resist them. She always had a soft spot towards anything of nature. The orphanage back in the country grew flowers and she took pride watching them bud into full bloom.

"Hello," the dark-haired man from behind the flowers greeted her.

"Hello," she replied politely. "These are very beautiful. Do you grow them?"

"Back home, yes. I live a little far from here because I needed a bigger yard. But it's worth it."

"It is," she said honestly, and reached for the crimson roses that stood out most. "These are my favorite, plus pink carnations."

"I had a pretty much similar combination ordered once to the hospital," he commented. He was snipping away the faltering flowers and tucking them to an arrangement. He noticed her looking and he smiled. "I distribute these to the hospitals, elderly homes or the orphanages I past on the way home. They don't really mind, I always give them a new set everyday." He frowned when he took out a stuffed peapod from one of the big metal urns. "Would you like this? I sold a _Plants vs. Zombies _stuffed set about two weeks ago and this was a lonely one. I don't think this is really a part of the games, but I don't have a child, and the kids might fight over it up at the orphanage."

Mikan grinned when she took the stuffed peapod. "Thank you. I think my cat would love to sleep with this, Mr…?"

"Just call me Misaki," he said.

She nodded, and then a thought struck her; should she trust this man? After all, he's been kind so far, and he didn't need to know who she was. "Misaki, do you know any Nobara Ibaragi?"

"Why, of course."

"Really?" Mikan did a double take. "Do you know where she is now?"

He frowned. "Are you a friend?"

She blushed. "No, I'm, um, kind of related to someone who knows her, and I wanted to pay her a visit."

The man nodded and turned back to his shop. Half a minute later, he took out a bundle of flowers. "Tulips are her favorite. She always buys them from me, always with that Attorney Hyuuga. I suppose you know him? Hard not to, the man's one of those people in the big industry who's got a name known by most of everyone. He gets her flowers when she couldn't nowadays. He used to do it on mid-mornings, sometimes, very late. These days, though, I just see his secretary. I suppose it's because he's got more load on his hands, with that fiancée of his with him now. Do you still want to see her?"

"Oh, yes, please." She managed to say, still a little confused with the story. Natsume bought flowers for Nobara? And he couldn't now because Mikan asked him to drive her to school… She felt a pang striking her in the heart. She knew she caused a lot of trouble, but she didn't know she was that much of a bother. Natsume never made anything obvious. Then again, Natsume never made anything obvious about him.

"Here, bring this to her, if you don't mind. I'll write you the place; it's not very far from here…"

* * *

**M**ikan was asleep on the couch when he came home at two in the morning. He had stopped by work around nine and didn't realize that time flew too fast. Kimi was sleeping beside her, and he wondered if the possibility of getting asthma was prominent with cat fur in inhaling distance every time. He gently reached to raise the cat off, but Mikan had wiggled awake.

"Natsume?" she mumbled, her eyes fluttering and drooping.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" Natsume's voice was low and ragged. He was exhausted and he thought Mikan would still be difficult when he came back. During his ride home, he had an insane image on his head about Mikan throwing a party in the bungalow to get back at him. "Go back to sleep, I'll take you to your room."

"No…" She yawned, and forced herself to a sleeping position. "What time is it?"

He frowned. "Two in the morning. Come on, you're sleeping on your bed. It might get cold up here."

She laughed softly, but a yawn caught her halfway. "It's March, Natsume. All I can get is spring fever and I have a high metabolism."

"Can't risk it. Go back to sleep."

"No, no," she tugged on his arm. She yawned again. "Tell me about your day. Or are you not supposed to tell me? I'd like to hear something…"

"It's two AM." He pointed out.

"I know, you should be asleep."

"You should be, too."

She yawned again, and this time, her eyes completely closed. She settled back on her bed and snuggled against the comforter. "That's not a bad idea."

Natsume sighed. "Alright, then. Just go get some sleep." He reached for the jacket he shrugged off earlier, but before he could go wash his face and brush his teeth, Mikan called after him;

"I'm taking you out tomorrow, okay?"

He frowned and turned; he had some business matters to settle tomorrow. But then he saw Mikan's serene face with a small innocent smile, and the gentle rise and fall of her chest. The cat nuzzled its nose between her arms. He couldn't help but feel glad. He knew their fight the day before was not something they could both easily forget.

A neon green sticky note on a brown package near the phone caught his attention. It was in his sister's handwriting.

_Today was her Family Day, _it said_, Mikan and I had loads of fun. Her friends are hilarious. Mom joined in the mother-daughter games and dad painted us during lunch. You can frame it on your study. I hope your fight was worth it. – Aoi._

_PS Mom wanted you to frame her pictures, too. I think she was proud being able to play around despite her age. She didn't get to do that to either of us._

Natsume looked back at Mikan, and just so subtly, he smiled. For most of her thinking life, Aoi tried to fix the broken bridge between her and their mother. Mikan managed to do that just by her presence.

Once again, he wondered what would happen when they would have to end it. He didn't want to break all connections with her, but what was going to happen with his family? With the people she managed to charm? He didn't want to lose that.

Secretly, although he didn't want to admit it in fear of it being a case of independence, he didn't want to lose her either.

He tucked the package between his arm, and with his free hand, he flicked off the lights and turned the lamp on. He turned for bed; he apparently had a date with his wife tomorrow.

* * *

**M**ikan didn't tell Natsume about Family Day and neither of them talked about their fight. There were no awkward silences and no cough fillers in between sentences. Mikan smiled and told Natsume about school. He listened and would nod every now and then, sometimes inserting information or a question. It was like nothing happened.

It proved to be a little harder in Mikan's part. She knew something about him and it bothered her that he was sacrificing too much. He couldn't talk to Nobara most of the time because of her! Natsume found it easier because that's what he does. He ignores everything after the fire has been doused. It's part of his job that he unconsciously dragged to his everyday life.

They were nearing their destination, probably a good five minutes away. She had told the employed chauffer for the day (she didn't want to make him drive to his own surprise, and he didn't want her to drive) the exact location and made him promise not to tell.

She drew out a silky scarf from her bag and swirled it in front of Natsume's eyes. They both sat at the back, a rare occasion.

He eyed the scarf warily. No doubt it was something she bought with his cousin, judging from the sassy patterns. "What's with that?" He was almost afraid to ask.

She stuck out her tongue playfully. "No questions!" She motioned him to turn around and after a couple of sighs and a quick argument that involved the decapitation and frying of innards of a certain cat, she managed to tie the scarf around his head. She giggled when she admired her work. "Pink suits you well, you know."

"Stop talking." He muttered. His hand reached for the scarf to tug it down, but was slapped and forced into Mikan's smaller ones.

"Hey, Natsume?"

He nodded to show he was listening, although she really shouldn't have asked.

"Remember, you told me to go around the city?"

He tensed. "What about it?" What was she up to now?

"I did, yesterday. I didn't go alone," she added hurriedly, sensing a lecture. "Mom's chauffer drove me around and made sure I was safe at home before he left. Now shut up and listen." She waited to see if he would speak, and when she didn't, she continued satisfyingly. "I found something interesting, and I don't want you guessing what it is. You won't even get it right."

"Then why am I blindfolded?" He droned. He heard her scuffle and was quite surprised when she forced a pair of earphones on his hears. "What's the big idea? Oh, I get it." He tried to roll his eyes but the action went in vain. "You're blocking my senses. Trying drastically and failing miserably, I might add."

"You're too observant," she scolded him, "You'll ruin the surprise the moment we get off the car."

"Your get-up is suffocating. If I ever guess where we are, I'm not going to spoil your surprise. Deal?"

She considered this for a while. "No deal. I know you lawyers, especially you. You're the type who's too eager for information; you'd practically kill a kid."

They remained silent the rest of the journey. Mikan was nervous and excited at the same time. Would he be mad at her? Would he think she was snooping around? Technically, they were husband and wife. They needed no secrets. But even husbands and wives have their boundaries. Being married didn't mean spilling your whole life to one person. She had to remind herself that she and Natsume weren't even in love in the first place.

She felt jealous when she found out about Nobara Ibaragi. She's heard of her name more than once but never less than ten; they were always careful. She assumed that the 'she' and 'her' that Natsume and Narumi talked about was Aoi, but once, Narumi said the name out loud. She remembered being sad that Natsume babied someone else beside her. She only wanted him to look at her, just her…

Mikan was just tired of having to share everything with everyone. Sure, it was fun. Being in the orphanage was one of the biggest part of her life, but growing up as a spoiled daddy's city girl, sharing was something she had to learn. She couldn't have everything in life alone because there was always someone else who needed it more, someone who was worth it aside from her.

She had to share her room, her clothes… the only thing she didn't share was the toiletries, and even on rare times she had to use it to wash a younger orphan she needed to take care of.

When she found out that she was sharing Natsume, she went insanely green-eyed. She didn't want to share anymore. She only wanted Natsume to herself.

And then her recent thoughts about her mother being pregnant with another man and having a new daughter… just the thought of her _sharing her mother _was enough to have her spilling curses in her mind. Her mother was supposed to be just for her, not for anyone else. Just for Miki.

When the car slowed down to the same place she went to until seven the night before, Natsume had to nudge Mikan to make her realize that they've finally arrived. He heard her car door open and close, and felt her small warm hands hold his, leading the way. Mikan had played a song by a local band and he couldn't guess where they were going. He didn't bother trying anymore when he tried sniffing and she slapped her hand on his nose.

After four songs, Mikan finally took off the earphones for him. He realized that it was quiet save for an incessant bleep and, for some reason, sensed oddly familiar.

Just as the tang wafted around and he kind of recognized where he was, he tugged on the scarf and heard Mikan say in a soft voice; "Hello, Nobara. You might not know me, but that's why I'm here to personally introduce myself. My name is Mikan Sakura, I turned eighteen last January, and I'm Natsume's wife…"

* * *

**A/N **Today's upload is thanks to my nee-chan, _IrisCherieHathaway_. I come off as really snobbish to some, I guess, but I love meeting new people, I'm just awfully shy! I love getting emails and emails from FFN are the best. Although I reply awfully late, I promise that I always read your emails, every single one of them. I just get too hang up on some matters that I have to set it aside. I am only able to write this long when I'm not connected to the internet (meaning I don't have schoolwork). When I talked to nee-chan, she mentioned that she was eager for updates on _Loved by Law, Sk8r Boi _and _Who's That Girl_, which snapped me to reality that I have to edit.

(You don't have to read this if you only read _Loved by Law._)

I update _Loved by Law _faster compared to the other two because I actually have the plot ideas planned out. I am trying to achieve a dramatic feel to _Sk8r Boi_ and I already know how it would catch up at the middle, I just have yet to decide on how they're going to get there. I don't want it to be like _Senior Tales, _where I kept putting on fillers and had problems at the end (Lei was an abrupt decision; part of the reason why the one-shot _Japan's National Flower _is so cryptic is because I don't even know who Lei is!). _Who's That Girl… _I also have this planned out, and I mean everything, from what happens to where it happens and how it happens. I guess I'm just not ready to let it go yet, that's why I'm stalling. I've fell in love with writing it. If my maturing writing style became evident on _Senior Tales_, _Who's That Girl _was the transition. I had to remake the whole thing because I was not satisfied. That's where I learned that being a writer, you don't have to be perfect. You can be imperfect and still find something pleasurable in the things you do.

**Disclaimer: **_Plants vs. Zombies _and every song that has been used, is used and will be used in this story.


	14. Buses and Trains

_**Chapter XIV: Buses and Trains**_

_So I walked under a bus_

_I got hit by a train_

_Keep falling in love_

_Which is kind of the same_

_(Bachelor Girl)_

* * *

**H**is cousin had turned his wife into a monster.

Mikan sat in the middle of the shop, her expression innocent and almost child-like. Her feet were swinging and she was humming along to the song played throughout.

But Natsume knew better.

In the last seven minutes and forty-three seconds (he counted), Mikan had already asked for her size with four shoes wherein two suspiciously looked the same. Just how many three-inch high shoes does a woman need anyway? He couldn't say he didn't have any shoes, he actually had a fair number than the average, but most of it was given as gifts from his sister.

It also didn't help that Narumi was as twinkly-eyed as Mikan.

His secretary, donning a bright blazer, tottered over Mikan with a diamond-studded sleek pair. Mikan's eyes widened as she practically salivated over the shoes. Then, her eyes glumly looked up at him, impossibly wider and— _was that a tear_?

Natsume sighed. "Alright."

The things he does for her.

His phone beeped and Natsume fluidly swept it from the inside of his jacket pocket. It was an email from Mikan's uncle.

**From**: Yukihara, Kazu

**To**: Hyuuga, Natsume

**Received**: Tue, 03/01/ 2011; 7:42 PM

**Subject**: Wedding

_Natsume,_

_My wife and I have decided we will be honored _

_to host the public wedding. It's the least we _

_can do as family of the bride, and given the _

_absence of her mother. Contact us for any _

_preferable dates and other details._

_Sincerely,_

**Kazu Yukihara**

"Natsume?" Mikan eased up beside him, her feet wrapped around a pair of gold. "You look disturbed. Who was that?"

"Just the firm," he fibbed, pocketing his phone. He would have to reply later. Admittedly, Kazu's idea sounded very appealing. But what would Mikan's reactions be when she finds out her uncle knew about her having a missing mother? Though, Mikan has never been the one who buried her anger behind the yard and threw it at you whenever you come to visit.

Or maybe they could have it as a surprise.

Now _that _was an idea. He knew for a fact that Mikan liked surprises. Just the other day, a client of his who came to visit saw the photograph Mikan made him put on his desk, where Kimi the cat was snuggling right next to Mikan as they sat on his parents' garden. His client said that his store has been expanding to pet clothing and had clothes custom-made and sent over their bungalow the next day.

"Narumi," he addressed his assistant. "Maybe you'd like to accompany Mikan? I need to make an important phone call."

Narumi, thank goodness, did not say anything about the phone call. He expertly handled Natsume's schedule for today and made sure that no client or case would reach his phone. There was a knowing glint and an assured look that said that information would later be exchanged.

"Have you seen that end?" Narumi steered Mikan to the left. "They have these pairs from Italy and…"

* * *

**N**atsume bid goodbye to the driver. When he hung up the phone, Mikan had on a frown, her eyes looking up to him. "What?" He asked.

She blinked. "There's something wrong. What's wrong?"

"What makes you think there's something wrong?" He wasn't escaping her question; he was merely curious.

Mikan bit the insides of her mouth in thought. "Well, for one, your eyebrows are furrowed in that 'why is the whole world stupid' way. Kind of like yesterday when we were buying shoes."

Natsume had to smirk at that; "Very good assumption."

"No, I just find you quite easy to read now," she shrugged and continued eating her cereal. She asked again, "What's wrong?"

"The driver quit. His mother died and he's the oldest of seven."

"If he's the oldest, then shouldn't he be working still?"

"His mother lived in America."

"Oh." Mikan continued eating in silence and then asked, "Are you driving me to school today?"

"Yes."

Immediately, she brightened up, "That means you're taking me home, too, right? Can we drop by Nobara? Please?"

"You already saw her last night, and the night before that, and the day before that."

"I see you everyday." She pointed out.

He sighed. There was only one thing he knew she could do with Nobara. "She can't hear you, Mikan."

Immediately, she scowled. "Of course she can. You have so little faith, Natsume. Just because she can't talk back, doesn't mean she can't hear me." She stood up and placed her dishes on the sink. "It'd do you some good to hope sometimes."

"It's not a matter of nonexistent hope," he argued firmly. "She's been a vegetable for years now."

Mikan refused to look back. "You think it's her fault she only wanted to be with you?"

"You thought she was my wife."

"That's because you didn't trust me."

"You didn't need to know."

"I'm your wife, of course I need to know about your adoptive sister."

Natsume rolled his eyes. She has been using the wife card for some time now. "You're going to be late. Just leave the dishes, my housekeeper said she'll be fine now."

"She's been sick for what? Two months?"

"I suppose that was just half of the story," Natsume shrugged. "But she's pretty good before. Never breaks anything."

"I want to see her!" Mikan smiled. "Maybe she can teach me how to—"

"_No_."

"But—"

"You're not dusting the place, Mikan," Natsume said exasperatedly, "The last time you did that, I found you clinging to the chandelier."

"Because I couldn't get to the corners of the bulbs!" she said defensively. "And anyway, it'd do me some good comes summer. I can't stay here forever."

"Won't you still be Ruka's secretary?"

She pulled a face. "Can't I have two? Please?"

"What are you, a single mother?"

She drew out her tongue. "Really, Natsume! Youichi's not going to be around until a while and you're not going to be leaving me yet."

He eyed her, deadpan. He swung the car keys. "Get in the car."

_**J**__ust my luck_, Natsume groaned once again. He had taken a cab to fetch Mikan to school, and after that, they'd have to catch the train to stop by a private investigator's. Aoi had taken her beat-up truck and he wasn't about to use if for anything business-related, anyway.

When the cab driver dropped them to the train station, Mikan asked for the fourth time, "Why couldn't we take the car?"

He couldn't tell her the truth.

But he did anyway.

"Because I crashed it."

Mikan's jaw dropped. "You _what_?"

"I crashed."

"And you're still _alive_?"

"Why does it sound like you don't want me to be?"

There was a short pause as they bought their tickets.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Natsume blinked. "Excuse me?"

"What. The. Hell. Is. Wrong. With. You?" She repeated the question slowly. "Ruka told me you stopped drag-racing since college!"

Natsume scowled. He'll have to tell Ruka off for telling that to her. "I wasn't drag-racing. It was the cat's fault."

Mikan scowled. "Right, blame it on Kimi."

"No, there was a stray cat, and I swerved left because I didn't want to kill it."

Their train had arrived, and they were both ushered by the crowd inside. They were already a full five minutes in the train when Mikan turned to him and asked, "Did you really almost get killed because of a cat?"

Unsure if it was a trick question, he aimed for honesty. "Yes?"

Mikan smiled up at him. "Natsume, that's so sweet!"

He grimaced. "It was a nasty bump, though."

"A car can be replaced, but a cat's life can't," she said.

"A cat has nine lives."

"No, they don't. They just get on their feet fast."

He shook his head. He needed to have something clipped on his shirt to remind him that Mikan's not a young girl.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"Something about a case," Natsume said vaguely. Although he trusted Mikan, he can't exactly let it slip that they're off to visit the PI who has the answers to the case settled against him and Ruka. With Mikan being Ruka's secretary, he can't be too sure. It's either his best mate or his wife accidentally lets it slip to Takahashi that he's ahead of the game. It's supposed to be Narumi's job, but he needed to have someone cover for him back at the firm.

"Can you take me out somewhere to eat?"

He eyed her doubtfully. "Where to?"

"_Pepper L_—"

"No."

"Fine," Mikan huffed dejectedly.

* * *

**S**he did not sign up for this.

The kid was looking up at her with those taunting grey eyes.

"Didn't they ever tell you it was rude to stare?"

He blinked.

Oh for Pete's sake.

Hotaru handed Youichi a couple of papers and a sharpened pencil. "Don't poke your eye with that," she warned him.

Youichi held the materials from her but did not stop from staring.

Hotaru rolled her eyes and spun back her chair. "Kids are weird," she muttered.

* * *

**H**e didn't want to believe it at first.

They were three stops behind their destination, but he and Mikan needed to get off the train as soon as the next stop comes.

Currently, there were seven people left in their compartment. Aside from them, there was an old couple right across them (who, he should note, had been eyeing Mikan and himself with those cutesy smiles in the first five minutes, but then odd ones in the next moments), a middle school student on the left, with almost the same uniform as the high school kid about five seats away from her, who had her eyes closed and her head resting on a man's shoulder.

The moment the train stopped and the door opened, Natsume stood up and lightly shoved Mikan out.

"But this isn't our stop," Mikan frowned.

"Just get up," he hissed.

Everyone was eyeing them now.

He had ten seconds left before the door closes on them.

"Come on!" He all but dragged her out.

He'd rather be viewed an abusive than have her, or anyone else's life for that matter, killed.

* * *

**A**fter Natsume dragged her out the compartment, the rest of the passengers, aside from the man with the high school kid, had hurriedly climbed out of the train.

The old lady came up to him and kissed his cheek. Her husband patted his back. The middle school student looked frightened but otherwise okay.

Mikan, however, was sulking on one corner.

He sighed.

"Thank you, young man," the old lady had said before walking away with her husband.

Natsume couldn't phrase it gently, but he knew what he did was right. Before he approached Mikan, he went for one of the police nearby and told them of what he witnessed. The police assured him that they would be stopping the man as soon as in the next stop.

After all that's been set and done, he came up to her.

"Will you listen to me?"

Mikan huffed. "You didn't have to yell and drag me out, you know."

"It was either that or you die."

She turned to him heatedly. "What, do you have a sixth sense or something? Was the train going to crash?"

"It's not like that."

"Then give me a good reason why you had to act like a controlling husband."

Natsume gave a low sigh. "Remember the man on the corner? With the high school girl?"

Mikan shrugged. "What about them?"

"What did the girl look like?"

"I don't know. She was sleeping."

Natsume shook his head. "No. She was dead."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"It was probably an ice pick," Natsume explained. "I don't know why men these days have to kill young people, or people in general."

"Wait, I don't get it…"

Firmly, Natsume placed both his hands on Mikan's cheeks. "You have to listen to me. Not everywhere is safe, and I can't be around to look after you all the time."

She scowled. "I don't need looking after."

He sighed. "I know. But just keep in mind that I may not be around much."

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere in particular. I could die right this moment, for God knows."

"You can't die," Mikan pouted. "You're supposed to be invincible."

"Invincible?" He asked amusedly.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay. Undefeatable."

He bit his lip. "I thought so too."

"I'm graduating next week," she said timidly.

"I figured," Natsume said. "Would you want to do anything special?"

She ignored his question. "I want to be undefeatable too."

"Really, now? You want to be a lawyer?" He started leading her down the station; one arm around her while the other holding tightly on her books.

"No, I want to be a child doctor," she said ardently. "I want to be invincible in someone's eyes."

They were already on the streets when Natsume chuckled lowly. "You don't need to take that path."

Mikan frowned. She expected him to encourage her since he was a man of ambition. "What?"

"You're magnanimous alone."

They crossed the street before Mikan looked up to him with a funny face. "I'm sure that comment should have sent me fluttering about but I've got as much passion as a slug right now."

Natsume didn't know whether to laugh. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're only returning the favor. I mean, I didn't get what you were saying."

"I didn't throw it anywhere."

Mikan lightly punched him on the shoulder.

* * *

**I**t wasn't normal.

That was what Mikan could deduce.

She had been feeling oddly… she couldn't even come up with a word. It was a strange feeling, yes. She felt light and pleased. Talking to Natsume was like taking a happy pill. It was like a breather.

He made her happy, that she was sure of. Although admittedly simple joys can turn her frown upside down, there was something about being around Natsume. He was admittedly quite a sad person since he's passion for life couldn't even fill up a teacup. But for reasons she couldn't quite fathom, she felt well around him. Not just a feeling of physical security, but happiness. Genuine happiness.

Was it cheesy, what she was coming up to admit to herself? Why did she come up with this realization in the first place?

They sat on a table at _McDonalds_. Though he didn't entirely approve of the particular fast food choice, Mikan admitted that she never really liked posh dinners, admitting to the sweetbread incident back in January.

Has it really been about two months? Time sure flies fast. Next week, she was graduating, then she was getting married and then going to college. It felt like a blur to her.

And then a box turned up in front of her.

She didn't take it. She looked past the box and to Natsume who was holding it up. "What is this?"

"A Tuesday present."

"A Tuesday present?"

"A pre-Graduation present," he said firmly.

She brightened up. "Oh." He wiggled the box in front of her and she took it, gently tearing the wrapper down. She reached inside and her jaw dropped.

"Do you like it?" Natsume asked. "I've already got the battery and the memory card set so you can already start using it."

She took out the camera. "It's so pretty, I don't feel like using it," she mumbled. But when she looked up, she saw Natsume sipping from a bottle of water. He looked relax, and at ease. She couldn't help it. She immediately whipped the new camera in front of her and snapped his photo.

His reaction was humorous. He coughed from the surprise, and his eyes widened. But the picture Mikan took was handsome. And it's not just because of how he looks, she tried to convince herself, all the while telling her jumping nerves that suddenly turned up to calm down.

Mikan put the camera down and flicked a French fry to her mouth. "You know what, I don't care what you say," she said, "This stuff is delicious."

Natsume took out a French fry himself and inspected it. "This 'stuff' is a thousand calories."

"You're mad."

"I'm serious," Natsume said, "it's been soaked in oil for how many times. It's greasy and disgusting." He put the piece down and wiped his finger on a paper napkin.

Mikan clammed her mouth shut. She gathered a couple of French fries and when he was about to comment on something, stuck it on Natsume's mouth.

Mikan – 1. Natsume – 0.

* * *

**R**uka was not a coward, and he wasn't going to be for Sora Takaheshi.

"Speak up, son," the man growled. "I don't have all day."

Ruka cleared his throat. "Where have you been the last few days?"

"I doubt it's any of your business." He said smoothly.

"I do respect a man's life but unfortunately for you, everything you do from this point forward until the case is done will be my business."

Takaheshi scowled.

_This is going to be a long night_, Ruka thought.

* * *

**O**n the way home, Mikan had been playing with her new camera. She'd take photos of Natsume, his suitcase, the streets, a stray animal. Natsume wasn't complaining, though. It kept her busy while he talked to her uncle. That is, until Mikan started prodding him to smile at the camera.

"No," he said firmly.

Mikan sighed, "Oh, just one, Natsume? You never smile, just do this for me, just this once?"

"Newly weds?" the cab driver beamed from his seat.

Mikan smiled. "Is that your wife?" She pointed at the picture on the dashboard.

"Yes," he said. "She died three years ago."

Mikan was suddenly speechless. "I… I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," the cab driver smiled at her through the mirror. "I actually like it when people ask about her."

"How was she like?" Mikan wanted to know.

"Oh, the woman's as silly as she can be. You remind me very much like her. She liked taking photographs. We knew she was going to die, though we didn't know when. That's why she liked cameras."

When the cab driver dropped him off, Mikan knocked on his door. "I know this may be an odd request, but may I have a picture with you?"

The cab driver chuckled.

* * *

**A**s soon as they got home, Natsume went straight to the library to discuss the wedding over with Yukihara. He made sure that the door was locked and that Mikan would be busy with the book she borrowed from Hotaru. Mid-conversation, he heard the phone over at the sitting room ring. He heard footsteps; Mikan answered the phone.

"Excuse me, Yukihara? I'll call you back in a few minutes." He hung the phone and went to grab the other one adjacent to the one at the sitting room.

"_Hello, is Natsume around?_" Aoi's voice said.

Mikan's voice was almost robotic: "I'm sorry, he's on the phone right now, do you want to leave a message?"

Aoi laughed. "_Mikan, it's me._"

"I know, that's why he won't talk to you."

"_Mikan!" _Aoi giggled. _"It's not that important anyway. Are you busy?"_

"No, not really."

"_Well, maybe you could just tell him for me. He asked me earlier to post an ad for a driver over at the newspaper and I've already got a few applicants, but the first one's by some nineteen-year-old from the countryside looking for a job. Long story short, he went on about how he's new to the city and needed something like a job to live off to and I guess I kind of more or less a little bit—"_

"Aoi, just get on with it," Mikan said with a smile.

"_Well, I hired him."_

Natsume almost cursed. He knew better than to leave things to Aoi.

Mikan whistled. "Ooh, Natsume's going to be furious…"

"_I know, tell me about it. Anyway, since he's busy, just tell him for me, okay?"_

"Why do I have a feeling that you wished for that?"

"_He likes you anyway. You've been getting along just fine."_

"He… he what?"

_He what? _Natsume blinked.

"_He likes you. Natsume likes you. Isn't it obvious? He's not that patient with everyone. Even to Hotaru."_

"Well, that's because I'm doing him a favor by keeping his name clean and his reputation spotless."

"_Natsume… well, don't you like Natsume?"_

"What? Of course I do. He's a nice… man."

"_A nice man. Pfft. Honestly, Mikan."_

"What? He is. Did you know that be brought me a camera today? Said it was a pre-graduation present. And I made him eat fries! That's something, right?"

"_Wow, I'd be lucky if Natsume got me a pair of socks for Christmas. The guy rarely buys things for himself, let alone for others."_

"Maybe because he's one of those people who likes giving things with meaning?"

"_That is so gay."_

"You know, that's not really nice of you to say about your brother. Plus he really is nice!"

"_Mikan…" _Aoi's voice had gone a little serious, "_you don't like Natsume, do you?"_

"What?" Mikan asked. "I don't..."

"_Like as in…"_

__"Well, I..."

Natsume couldn't move. Where was his sister going with this? But before he could give it much thought, Aoi was already taking her words back.

"Never mind. Just give him the name for your new driver. He'll drop by tomorrow morning at six so they could talk before work. The name's Ken Tarou."

* * *

**A/N **If you've forgotten who Ken Tarou is, please refer to Chapter 1.

I wrote this on January 2012. It was more or less finished then, but I couldn't bring myself to end the chapter. Eventually, the interest faded and I stopped writing for fun. I am glad, though, that I finally am doing this. Writing for work and the paper has been stressful and extremely tiring, that I vowed never to write again for a few weeks. I realized why I told myself all those years ago that I never want to make my passion my work. Eventually you get sick of it, and it's just horrible finding no escape from something you've grown tired of. So when I checked my mail a few days ago, I was surprised to still find reviews on my stories, especially _Loved by Law_. I'm really pleased that people are still reading my work despite my absence. I figured my hiatus should be ended now, but I can't promise I'd be around much as I had been then, though. But thank you for all the support, because it might be just what I need

**Disclaimer: **Pepper Lunch, McDonalds


	15. Broken Promises

_**Chapter XV: Broken Promises**_

_And now we're left with broken promises_

_My heart can't take no more_

_And now we're left with broken promises_

_My mind has had enough_

_(Element Eighty)_

* * *

**A/N: **I didn't get to say this last chapter but the train bit was supposedly a warning for you guys, especially to girls who are usually deemed weak by criminals, but that doesn't mean boys are exceptions. People do go around bearing ice picks; a friend of mine was stabbed twice when he refused to give this man his phone. It was actually quite a funny story. He was on his way home to meet his mom after taking an exam, but he got on the wrong ride and had to move to another one. He took out his phone to ask directions from us via text, and the snatcher from outside attempted to grab his phone but my friend wouldn't let go as he was already lost—he said losing his phone would just make matters worse (this was kind of the funny part; a sane person would immediately surrender the phone but no, not this friend of mine). The man went inside the ride to grab my friend's phone (apparently he liked the phone; otherwise he wouldn't be that persistent) but my friend still wouldn't budge. In the end, the man took out his ice pick and stabbed my friend on the wrist in the hopes that he would let go, but my friend's life (his words, not mine), depended on that phone (ironic, isn't it?). It finally came to him to shout, which he did, and the man hurriedly but calmly walked out of the ride to avoid suspicion. The sad thing is, there were four other passengers, excluding the driver, on the ride with my friend, and no one went to help him even before the man came up to the ride. I would have used this bit but I wrote the chapter (that was based on a true story that circled around the net) way before the accident.

Enough of this, happy reading! :)

* * *

"**W**ell, you look exhausted," Ken commented.

Mikan threw him a scowl as she clambered up the car to ride shotgun. "I never knew graduating would be so difficult."

"Hey, at least you're graduating," Ken gave her a good-natured laugh. "All set?" He asked needlessly. He knew she was already strapped on; in the past week he's been working for Natsume and Mikan (it felt weird saying that, when just a couple of months ago, Mikan was playing with him and the other orphans), he already realized that Natsume's a fickle for safety-first measures.

"So how was your day?" Mikan asked, tying her hair up into a ponytail. They were on the way to Alice Law Firms and she naturally have to look proper and decent, if not formal.

Ken shrugged. "You know, the usual. Drove Hyuuga around the city to check on some clients, he had more than usual today, which was fine with me since I won't be stuck waiting to be someone else's chauffeur. Remember I took Imai to a police station five blocks from the firm and it was the worst experience ever, the woman pointed out how even my fingers were positioned wrong on the steering wheel."

Mikan stifled a laugh. She knew Hotaru was a little bored that time. "It's better than sitting around doing nothing, is it?"

"Yeah, I guess," Ken muttered. "Still, I wouldn't mind driving around Narumi if it means I won't take Imai anywhere."

"Narumi's pretty nice, what's wrong with him?"

"He's too nice, if you know what I mean…"

This time, Mikan laughed.

Ken threw her a quick glance. "You know, you've changed."

She stopped laughing and went grim. "Is that a bad thing?"

"I don't know, exactly, but so far, I think it's done you some good. You've brightened up a little."

"Naturally," Mikan said, "I couldn't look like a battered lady. I have to look the part of a charming young wife."

"He's not being… harsh to you, is he?" Ken asked. The last time they were together, Mikan didn't enjoy Natsume's company as much, although they seemed to have patched it up on their wedding day.

"No, but I have to keep the façade up, you know? Regardless if I'm happy, we'll be divorcing after a year. That's the deal."

The car screeched to a stop and Mikan would've hurdled to the window if she weren't wearing a seatbelt.

"Ken!" She screamed, "Be careful! You could have killed us both!"

"Mikan," Ken ignored her, "What do you mean you'll be divorcing?"

Mikan could only think of one answer: _shit_.

* * *

**K**aoru Igarashi could probably kill a person with a single stare. Despite the fact that she's softened up to her children, which now includes Mikan, she was still notorious for being a stern woman who would never take no for an answer.

That's why the moment she climbed up the grand staircase of Alice Law Firms (she never took the elevators; people have gossiped that she might be claustrophobic, while most are just convinced she wants to check on each employee) and asked for Natsume Hyuuga, her son which everyone was well-aware of, an employee muttered a "You can't see him, madam."

"Excuse me?" she said, although she's heard it well the first time, loud and clear. Her eyes pierced through the employee's heart, and the poor man trembled in fear. "He… he said he can't be disturbed today."

Kaoru tapped one gloved finger against her elbow, her arms crossed. "I take it you know me, Mr…" she glanced at the employee's nameplate, "Mr. Mukaru."

"Y- yes, madam." He simply cowered against the stare.

"Then you must know that when I ask for something, I get it."

"Really, mother," Mikan's voice came up as she followed her mother-in-law's footsteps up the staircase. She gave the woman a light kiss on the cheek, "I believe Natsume was just teasing you."

"Actually, miss," Mr. Mukaru swallowed; he knew he was probably going to be in trouble. Why did Mr. Hyuuga have to make him do this? Has he done anything in the past that made his boss hate him so much? "He particularly said that if anyone comes up, he'll, err, fire everyone on the floor."

Mikan's eyebrows rose. "We'll see about that. Thank you, Mr. Mukaru. Mother," she addressed the woman beside her, "please stop harassing him now."

Kaoru threw a genial laugh, something that most of them in the firm never heard very much, "Alright. Now won't you tell me about your day instead?"

Mikan tried to forget about Ken's eyes boring over her. Apparently, he also took the job as her personal bodyguard. If he's not driving anyone around, he'd be eyeing Mikan like a hawk, as per Natsume's request now that they are about to get married right after graduation. "Well, we spent the day with mostly free periods in preparation for this Friday; so needless to say I slept most of the time."

"I hope work is not boring you too much."

"Well, not _too _much." Mikan assured her.

"I certainly hope so, otherwise you wouldn't have time to plan for your wedding."

Mikan blinked. "The wedding? But… Oh!" it struck to her. No one else aside from immediate family and intimate friends that she was already married. "It slipped my mind."

"I was thinking of using similar themes, but Natsume called me a few days earlier and said you have chosen Verona?"

Mikan's eyes widened. "I chose _what_?" She then remembered that Natsume had once asked her to flip a book and it landed on Verona, Italy. So that was what it was about! She partly hoped they were going there, though, but she has been draining his wallet a little too much these days… "I mean, yes, mother, although he did just ask me to turn a random page… but I'd really like that."

Kaoru nodded. "It's settled them. The main reason I'm here is to discuss this with you and Natsume. I'll be out of town tonight until tomorrow, or Friday morning at most, but I'd be back in time for your graduation, I hope."

Mikan's heart faltered a little. She'd really want Kaoru to sit with Natsume on the designated seats for her parents on graduation day. Ioran, obviously, could not due to his health, and Mikan didn't want to pain his father-in-law more than necessary.

Kaoru seemed to have picked the sudden change of her features, and assured Mikan, "Don't worry, I promise to be sitting there, waiting for you to go up on stage."

The younger one smiled. "Thank you, mother. For everything, especially all the effort you're putting on the wedding."

They were already on the fourth floor; Kaoru caused too many employees hassle around. It kind of made Mikan laugh; with Natsume, everyone just steered away from his path. They knew how time is important, especially to Natsume, Ruka and Hotaru.

"Now getting back to the matter at hand," Kaoru was saying, "I'll be having these trees and vines delivered from Europe this weekend. We'll be having the wedding on the estate, as per Grandmother's request."

"Wait—_grandmother_?" Mikan's eyes grew wide.

"Yes; she'll actually be shouldering most expenses of the wedding. You probably have guessed by now that Natsume's her favorite."

She remembered the first (which she also hoped to be the last) time she met Grandmother Hyuuga. Simply put, they didn't like each other very much.

"She also wants a brick arch built especially for the wedding."

"An _arch?_"

"I think it's also time to say that she basically planned the wedding." Grandmother Hyuuga knew of Natsume and Mikan's first wedding, but she was somewhere in America that week for an important deal.

Mikan sighed. "It's not like I have any say anymore in this, right? I bet Natsume couldn't even budge on this."

They had skipped the next floors; Kaoru simply looked around instead of coming up on every cubicle and office.

"Mikan," Ken hissed, finally speaking ever since they got there.

"What?" Mikan whispered heatedly. She figured if she seemed annoyed, he'd stop approaching her with what he's been bugging her from the car. Usually, he'd give up whenever she'd use that tactic, but apparently this was something he couldn't just leave. Mikan couldn't blame him; if their situations were exchanged, she'd do the same to Ken. She'll probably even throw a hissy fit just to make him tell her.

"Does she know?"

"Know what?"

"The deal between you and that sick son of a—"

"Ken!" Mikan scolded him quietly. "Stop being so…"

"So what? I'm not the one who put my life down for god-knows-what-reason!"

Mikan threw Kaoru a quick glance to check if she was out of earshot. She was. She turned back to Ken. "Look, what we're doing has been agreed to and we're both perfectly fine with the arrangement. If he doesn't have a problem, and I don't have a problem, what's got you so vexed up?"

"Because I—never mind," Ken grumbled. "But you still owe me an explanation."

She shrugged. "I figured as much. But please, please just keep your irritation and curiosity to a minimum? Mother… doesn't exactly know." Ken's eyebrows rose. "Fine, she doesn't know anything. She's convinced I'm helplessly in love with her son, and he's absolutely smitten to me."

"Which, of course, is a big fat lie."

She scowled. "Not entirely. I like Natsume."

Ken grew silent for a few seconds. His eyes blinked at Mikan a couple of times. "You do?"

"I do."

Little did she know that she meant more than what she thought.

* * *

**H**otaru's eye bore over Case 021439. She highlighted important points and rephrased some. She included more facts that she garnered from her recent interviews with private investigators and the police. Beside her was the subject himself, slumped on the desk with two action figures. Unlike other kids she knew, he did not make any noises like _boom! Crshhh! Bam! Pshh! _He didn't even make the two heroes fight. He just kept fixing their capes, their limb positions, sent them flying in the air every now and then, and then putting them down once more.

She doubted he was having fun, but then again, Hotaru considered discussing the stock market as a relaxing activity, so who was she to judge?

Hotaru reviewed the file again. There was something wrong with the case, but she couldn't find it yet. She had a great feeling it was already right in front of her, though. His parents, Yukuzi Hijiri and Joan Hijiri were already home from the latter's hometown in Atlanta, but for safety reasons, Youichi still hasn't went back home. Other than that, and Youichi's reported physical injuries, she had a dead end. That is, until Anna phoned her.

"Speak." She knew Anna wouldn't call if it wasn't important, and Anna knew very well what 'important' meant to Hotaru Imai.

"_Can you confirm Youichi's sitter's name?"_

How could she not remember the name whose death haunted her young client? "Mizuho Kora."

"_Right, I just found out that Mizuho Kora is actually an adopted daughter, and her real name is Mizuho Hatsuni."_

"Go on."

"_Mizuho Hatsuni has no biological father. The Kora's adopted her a few years back as a favor for their friend, Mizuho's mother, so they still see each other a lot after the adoption papers were made. Hatsuni is her mother's maiden name. Her mother is Yura Hatsuni Takaheshi."_

Despite the sudden turn of events, Hotaru remained calm. She didn't doubt Anna's information; she was trained well. _So this is the missing part_, she told herself. Hatsuni, Natsume's client, was the key into the puzzle. "Anything else?"

"_I suspect a relationship between Hatsuni and Yukuzi Hijiri. Whenever his wife's not around, the woman is over at the Hijiri's, a couple of times with Mizuho. Whenever Yukuzi's supposed to man the fort when he's wife away, Mizuho takes his place as the sitter. A neighbor commented that she has heard Youichi cry more than once whenever she sees Mizuho around, but figured Mizuho and Hatsuni are family friends and were just teasing the child. Remember Youichi's bruises? They were from neither Yukuzi nor Joan. They're not crazy parents in love with their kid, but they never even raised their voices on Youichi. It was Mizuho who pained the kid. I doubt Yukuzi knows anything, but I think Hatsuni does."_

"So the kid knows he's dad's having an affair with Hatsuni?"

"_Seems so."_

"And you did mention that Mizuho has been a sitter for more than occasion?"

"_I'm positive about that. I got one of her friends to talk, although it cost me a watch. Anyway, she told me that she remembers Mizuho about babysitting the kid of who her mom's seeing, and how she and her boyfriend have been having fun with the little guy."_

They exchanged a couple more of information over the phone, until Anna said goodbye because she had another interview with the neighbor.

So they finally cracked one of the puzzles. The three cases the three lawyers were handling turned out to be one big case: Natsume Hyuuga representing Yura Hatsuni Takaheshi, Ruka Nogi representing Sora Takaheshi, and Hotaru Imai representing Youichi Hijiri.

This is certainly going to turn interesting.

* * *

**N**atsume's eye twitched as he tried to keep his emotions at bay. "_An arch?"_

Mikan sighed. "I said exactly the same thing," she muttered.

"Grandmother, this has to stop," Natsume said, gesturing over the sketches on the table, the topmost being the brick arch that was currently being addressed. It was lightly colored and heavily shaded; beside it was a sketch of an arch with two people, who happened to be the bride and groom, under the arch with their hands clasped together. The arch was drawn with the height of nine feet and a width of five. Vines circled one brick post, not entirely of leaves but with the occasional blossoms of roses.

They were huddled on a table in a hotel's restaurant. When Grandmother Hyuuga said she wanted to meet them, Natsume and Mikan had quickly gathered their things and headed to the hotel about ten minutes away. Kaoru decided to skip the meeting and went to pack for her trip. Tea and scones occupied quarter of the rounded table; the sketches took up most of the space.

"Building an arch is just too impractical," Mikan agreed, "We can just slam the whole Verona idea and have a quick simple wedding. I'd rather donate the money to charity, or a hospital."

Grandmother Hyuuga was obstinate. "Money is not a problem. We can have the arch _and _the donation. There's no need to sacrifice one for the other."

"With all due respect, Grandmother," Mikan was saying, "I understand that you are well-endowed with more than enough to finance this wedding but this is simply outrageous."

Natsume cleared his throat. "What Mikan means to say is that this is a little too much. We'll take the carriage and the orchestra, but I'm afraid building an arch in the garden grandfather took care of is crossing the border of acceptable to irrelevant especially for this one-time occasion."

"I see no reason why not," Grandmother said. "He had a particular fascination towards Europe and has always wanted to buy a castle."

"Just because he wanted a castle doesn't mean we should build a castle," Natsume reasoned out.

She waved him off. "We're not building a castle, just an arch. It would also be a perfect addition to the garden; an arch to the labyrinth. Wouldn't that be a pretty sight? And what are you two blabbering against for? I'll be the one paying for it."

"But it doesn't seem right," Mikan said.

Grandmother's eyebrows quirked. "And I suppose you want to do this alone? With all due respect, young lady," she repeated the same words that was thrown to her earlier, "I understand that you are not particularly well-endowed with even half to finance this wedding. You don't even have a mother to support you."

Mikan's mouth clammed shut.

"Actually, grandmother," Natsume said, now obviously not in a very good mood, "we are supposed to meet with Mikan's uncle in an hour."

"She has an uncle?"

"_I have an uncle?"_

* * *

**R**uka eyed his client over his flute. "Are you quite sure that this is what you want to demand?"

Takaheshi nodded firmly. "I am positive this time."

Ruka glanced back at his files. There were four different cases that Takaheshi filed against Yura Hatsuni. First was forging his signature. Second was 'stealing' from their joint bank account. Third was for when she sold their house in the Bahamas without his knowledge. Fourth was for selling the Takaheshi family heirloom. They were now on the fifth. He has finally (or at least hopefully) demanding her for adultery during their marriage.

"You do know that what you're accusing her of would just lead to her reasons for divorcing you?"

"Atty. Nogi, do you know how a married woman's mind works?"

He shook his head.

"Here's the thing," Takaheshi leant forward, almost as if he was sharing a vital piece of information among a few chosen men, "when you don't _play _with your wife, when you don't _use _what she gives you, she goes off to give it to someone else. When you go home late _once_, she starts suspecting you have another woman. So what would a jealous, manipulative woman like Hatsuni would do? She gets even. She flashes too much skin when you're together, not so I could show her off, but so she can invite anyone interested—bachelors, married men, old men, she won't choose, because the pleasure that came with being wanted appeals to her. Then what turns out to be revenge becomes an addiction, and then she goes to do it again." He pulled back and got comfortable on his seat. "Now your partner wouldn't have mentioned once what Yura has been filing against me, is she?"

"I've once gotten hold of Miss Hatsuni once when Atty. Hyuuga left the city for a few days. She was asking a divorce because you were, apparently, 'devious', 'demanding', 'cross' and 'everything a husband should never be'."

Takaheshi laughed. "She missed the part that she stole most of my possessions, ones that were not included in our joint ownership."

"Then why wouldn't you want to go with that?" Ruka asked. He was half-hoping Takaheshi would just choose from the first four cases he had already spent weeks constructing and studying.

Takaheshi drowned his glass. "Because I easily bought all of it back."

"Of course," Ruka muttered. He's forgotten how rich his client is.

"Yura is very skilled in devious acts but she is quite… how do I put this? Dim."

"Well, that won't make you win the case. Do you have any concrete evidence against her?"

"Isn't that your job?"

"We can't accuse her of something that's not true, Mr. Takaheshi. If you wanted to win a case with false information, Alice Law Firms is not the place you're looking for."

"Hold your horses, young man," Takaheshi chortled, "I have evidence. You just have to make them admit." He drew out his wallet and took out a folded piece of paper. There were names and addresses with contact numbers next to them. "These are all the men who I've found and suspect her to have been with."

Ruka was handed the paper and he gave out a long whistle. "This is going to take quite some time." He scanned the list. There were at least ten names in there. But then something caught his eye; further on the list was a name he knew more than the tycoons, local actors and politicians.

_Yukuzi Hijiri._

"Pardon me, but who—I mean, what is your relation to Hijiri?"

Takaheshi scowled. "He's my bookkeeper. He kept tabs on all my accounts. Apparently, he also kept tabs on my wife."

* * *

"**I **still don't know how you managed to keep this from me," Mikan muttered.

"I had to," Natsume said, "First, I wanted to be sure. Second, I wanted to know if they knew you. Third, I wanted to check on your mother."

"Wait," Mikan inhaled a gulp of air, "My mother? She's…"

Natsume shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. We still haven't got any leads to where she is. I've checked government agencies, hospitals, even hotels, but apparently your mom completely vanished since those months ago."

Mikan stayed quiet. "I almost got her, you know. When I was in the hospital. She brought me flowers, remember? And then Aoi told me she checked with the florist, but it was a dead end because she used my name." Mikan heaved a sigh. "Sometimes I think she's purposely hiding from me. Like maybe, she ran off with full intention, and never wanted to go back. That she meant to break her promise from the very start." Tears sprung from her eyes. "But then I remember how much she loved me, how much she cared… and I erase those thoughts. Because a mother's love is so… eternal. It doesn't die. And that's the only love I ever want to get. That's the only love I ever wanted to have, more than anything in the world." She sniffed and quickly wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry for being like this. After what grandmother said, I realized how right she is." This time, she gave a full sob, "I don't have a mother anymore."

As much as how Natsume grew quite comfortable with Mikan, he still had no idea what to do whenever she's on her moments, or getting emotional. He noticed Ken looking at them from the mirror. Instinctively, Natsume held Mikan by the shoulders and let her cry on his.

Not too long after, Mikan was already applying powder to lessen the sudden paleness of her face. They were right outside her uncle's gates, waiting for the guards to open them.

"What are we doing here?"

"Your uncle, Yukihara," he added, just in case she doesn't know or has forgotten, "wanted to host the wedding. They know about our private one down at the country. If I've known Grandmother wanted to partake in the preparation…" Natsume sighed. "I'm not particularly sure if they're keen with each other."

Apparently, they weren't.

Or at least, Mikan could only guess.

Uncle Yukihara was not a thing like Grandmother. When Mikan first entered her uncle's study with Natsume, she immediately thought he would be a little like Kaoru. Like a proper guest, he was standing, but was facing the window. Although Mikan couldn't figure out what he could be on the look-out for as it was very dark outside; the only light came from the guard earlier doing his rounds.

At first it was quite awkward; Mikan couldn't work out what sort of gesture of respect she'd do. But then Yukihara started speaking, and it oddly reminded Mikan of, well, her father.

"Why would she build an arch?" Yukihara said in disbelief, slamming the sketches down.

"See?" Mikan looked at Natsume, "Your grandmother is crazy."

"Crazy?" Yukihara repeated. "The woman is delusional!"

Natsume scowled. "I don't exactly appreciate you both ganging up on my grandmother. Regardless of how... outlandish her decisions turn out to be, she does it for good intentions."

"Good intentions?" Mikan said in disbelief. "Right, and building an arch on your grandfather's garden who, may I remind you, is now dead, would be counted as of good intention."

Yukihara waved them both off. "Hand me her contact details. I'll be having a lovely chat with this grandmother of yours."

It didn't exactly end up well, but at least they got to compromise. There would be an arch, a carriage and an orchestra as Grandmother wanted, but for Yukihara, there would be a bar mobile (which he cleverly introduced as a wine and tea refreshment table before the older lady) and a bonfire with lanterns at night.

"Might I remind you that this wedding is supposed to be ours?" Natsume said tartly, although a flick of amusement was evident on his eyes.

Yukihara snorted. "Boy, I wouldn't marry your grandmother even if she begged me naked on the street."

Mikan laughed and Natsume slightly choked on his scone.

* * *

**I**t was already late when Ken drove Natsume and Mikan back home to the bungalow, he would occasionally throw a glance over at the back seat. Mikan already filled him why she really married Natsume, but Natsume had no clue that Ken already knew their arrangement. Why couldn't Natsume just get on with it? Was his career that important to him?

"I got you a tie," Mikan said, taking out a paper bag from her rucksack. "Well it was actually Mayumi who bought it, because I didn't have the time, but I specifically told her what to get."

Natsume accepted the tie but frowned. "What did you get me the tie for?"

Mikan blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Thank you but you know I already have ties at home I haven't used yet."

"This is for my graduation, remember?" Mikan reminded him. "I said I'll get you one so you wouldn't blend among everyone like a father."

Natsume remembered. Apparently, he was missing something. "When did you say your graduation was?" He asked.

"March 11."

"This… this Friday?"

"Natsume," Mikan sighed, sensing something's about to happen. "I penned it on all your calendars, your planner and even your phones. How could you have forgotten?"

Indeed, how could he have? In the past week, he's been too focused on his cases that he's completely forgotten what's important.

Namely, Mikan's graduation.

"Mikan," Natsume sighed, "I'm sorry but I can't go."

She remained silent throughout the journey.

Ken, after that, kept stealing glances even more. He saw that Mikan was fixated on everything she saw outside the window, but he knew very well that there was nothing interesting outside; there were only houses that looked alike, some trees and the occasional 24/7-opened convenience stores. He also noticed that she wasn't crying, or even near to tears. She was just gazing outside, looking so calm. It was a surprise to Ken; he expected Mikan to scrunch her face up like she usually did when she doesn't like the way things are going, or even throw a sissy fit.

But no. For the first time his life, Ken witnessed Mikan actually act like a lady.

He still hasn't figured if it was for good or for bad.

* * *

**R**uka cleared his throat. "I have a revelation." They were huddled inside the conference room, mid-afternoon. Mikan had already gone to the firm straight after they've been dismissed early; Ruka asked her that morning to proceed to work immediately as soon as she could.

"You might want to say it fast, Nogi," Hotaru said, "I have something vital to say myself."

"I'll take a guess that yours is not as important as mine is, Imai," Ruka said, "And although we have sworn secrecy and utmost confidentiality to our clients, this apparently concerns us all."

Natsume was leaning against the wall, his head facing the enormous glass walls overlooking the city. Mikan sat on the corner, perched on a table next to the coffee-maker with a cup of her own on hand, and her folder next to her. Narumi was sitting next to Anna, both with notebooks and clipboards on hand. Hotaru was across Ruka on the long conference table, her face void of any emotion.

"I had a meeting with my client yesterday, Sora Takaheshi. I won't divulge anymore the details, but we happened to converse about, as we've always suspected long before, Yura Hatsuni's infidelity towards her husband. Apparently, it included Imai's client, Youichi Hijiri." Ruka paused. No one has moved an inch. "His father, Yukuzi Hijiri, is deceptively having an affair with Natsume's client, Hatsuni."

There was still no response, until Hotaru finally voiced out, "We highly appreciate your revelation, Nogi, but Anna and I already know that."

Ruka blinked. "You do?" He turned to Mikan in question.

Mikan shook her head. "I never told anyone anything, not even to Natsume."

Natsume snorted. "Thank you for that."

Hotaru then went on. "I sent Anna on duty yesterday and she managed some interviews with a couple of people. Like Nogi, we've found out that Yukuzi Hijiri is having, or perhaps had, an affair with Yura Hatsuni. Aside from that, the deceased sitter also happened to be Hatsuni's biological daughter, who has been treating the younger Hijiri badly."

"Well, this is something," Mikan commented. "So Ruka's client's wife is Natsume's client, who happened to be Hotaru's client's father's mistress."

"That's quite a mouthful," Narumi said, "But I think there's something missing."

"Excuse me?" Ruka asked, his brows furrowed.

Natsume sighed. "Narumi's right. Hatsuni and Takaheshi's divorcing because the former's being unfaithful with Hijiri, but there's still an unknown frame in here. We still don't know what exactly caused Kora's death, and who exactly killed her. That doesn't solve the case of drugs hidden inside the house, which led us to thinking that the kid's parents might actually be drug addicts."

"Maybe Hatsuni's taking them," Mikan piped. Everyone looked at her quite seriously and she backed an inch. "I mean," she continued, hoping she wouldn't get into trouble, "She _does _seem insane, doesn't she? And she's been hurting herself, remember?"

"What?" Hotaru asked, her eyes gone a little wide.

Mikan fiddled in her seat. "I saw her once. She was scratching her nails against her leg in the bathroom floor. I don't think she saw me, though."

Natsume sat back. "I didn't know that."

Ruka shrugged. "Neither did I."

"Then I guess Mikan's theory shouldn't be ruled out," Anna said.

Narumi nodded. "That's right. I still have a copy of that form from the clinic. There were bruises and scratches on Hatsuni, the doctor said."

"But we can't just say she's taking drugs without concrete evidence," Ruka reminded them.

"That's why I'm sending her to the hospital," Natsume decided, grabbing his phone and dialing a number. "Atty. Hyuuga speaking, may I please talk to Ms. Yura Hatsuni?"

Natsume drifted a little far from the crowd, and so the rest continued with their conversation.

"And what if it's a positive?" Anna asked.

Ruka sighed. "Then I may have this one on the bag."

Hotaru snorted. "You don't. I do. Her kid's included in my case, in case you've forgotten. Hyuuga loses because she's her client. You lose because your client's wife is drugged and he may be a factor. I'll be cleared sooner or later because it'd be down to Hatsuni and Takaheshi's divorce, being the root of the former's infidelity to my client's father."

There was silence. Natsume wasn't on the phone anymore, but he, too, was just standing.

Mikan broke it. "Anyone wants take-out?"

* * *

**I**t was ten hours before Mikan's graduation, and she still didn't know who to ask to replace Natsume's seat.

"Aoi, are you free tomorrow?"

"_Yeah, for your graduation dinner, I know," _Aoi said cheerfully over the phone.

"No, I meant earlier than that…"

"_I'm afraid not. I actually have my tutor coming over, but I asked him to wrap up earlier."_

"Oh… I was just curious. Thanks, bye!" Mikan hung up before Aoi could even say a word. She knew her sister-in-law would ask why, and when Aoi starts asking, it's usually difficult to end.

"Why were you asking Aoi?" Natsume's voice suddenly came from behind her, and Mikan turned in surprise.

"I thought you'd be late?" Mikan asked. After they had take-out, Ruka said she can go home to prepare for tomorrow, which was why he asked her to go to work early.

"I finished my work," he said, taking off his coat, "You didn't answer my question."

Mikan hung her head up high. She wasn't the one missing her graduation. "Because you told me you were busy."

"I did?" Natsume asked.

"Remember? When I bought you that tie?"

Natsume shook his head. "I didn't say that."

Mikan blinked. Natsume tended to become quite confusing at times. "Wait, so you're going?"

"Naturally."

"Pinky promise?"

"I… I swear." Apparently, he couldn't say that.

Mikan could barely keep her smile off her face. "Okay. I'll... I'll go fix my uniform for tomorrow, good night!" And before the happiness could die, she gave Natsume a quick hug. "There's dinner on the table!" Mikan said before she closed her door.

As Natsume was having dinner, he heard his phone ringing on the sitting room. At first he ignored it, enjoying the salad instead, but the caller was apparently incessant. Finally, he answered it. "Atty. Hyuuga speaking and I'm suing you for—"

"_What the hell have you done now, my idiot of a brother?!"_

* * *

**M**ikan nervously played with the cuffs of her shirt.

"Stop that," Mayumi scolded her. Since Mayumi's a Sakurako, she was right behind Mikan, while Kina Midori was a few people ahead of them and Saki Yanga near the end.

"He's not there," Mikan said, almost in tears.

"Of course he is," Mayumi said consolingly. Natsume _was _there earlier. In fact, he even took their picture. Apparently, after he got a phone call, he immediately left his seat.

Mikan shook her head. "A phone call couldn't take that long."

"Maybe he had to finish work," her friend piped, "Something came up and he had to discuss it with someone."

"He said he's finished it last night…" Mikan bit her lip. "He promised me he'd be here."

"Did he?" Mayumi asked, just to assure if that's exactly what Natsume said.

"Well, no, he swore, actually… but isn't that even better?"

"_Horan Kinoshi," _the principal was saying. Horan went up to stage; there were only two people left.

Mikan turned to look for Kaoru to ask, but she was on the phone.

"Either way," Mikan heard Mayumi mutter, although probably without meaning for her to hear, "I don't think he's coming."

Although Mikan didn't want to say it, she kind of figured it out, eventually, because when she stepped up on stage and found only Kaoru standing up, clapping with a smile on her face, but with an empty seat beside her, she knew Natsume didn't deem her that important after all.

* * *

**M**ikan was surrounded by many people after the ceremonies. After that, she conversed with her three friends, cried and hugged them all, and gave one each to every classmate that came forward. She whispered on girls' ears and giggled, blushed when a boy handed her something, and turned absolutely beet red when a teacher came to comment on how outstanding she'd been during her three months in school.

When Mikan finally caught up to Kaoru, she was holding up no less than six buttons on her palm.

"What's that for?" Kaoru asked.

"It's nothing." Mikan bit her lip.

Mayumi suddenly turned up behind her and laughed. "That, madame, is a symbol of love."

"It's not," Mikan muttered, her head bowed.

Kina sprouted from under Mikan's arm to tease her friend's pinkish cheeks. "Girl, that's their heart. You don't just say it's _nothing_."

"Pardon me?" Kaoru asked once more.

Saki, who came with Kina but was less immature, was smiling quite impishly. "On Graduation day, a guy will give the second button of his school uniform to the girl he likes, because it's the closest to the heart," she explained.

"Shut up," Mikan sighed, her face already red. She pocketed her hand with the buttons.

"Is that so?" Kaoru said needlessly, a small smile on her lips.

Saki was grinning as well. "The second button has all the memories and feelings he's been having in school. When you get one, it means the guy wants you to remember him."

As Kina was speaking, however, a tall figure was coming up to them. He came up to Mikan, and the three immediately fell into silence. Kaoru's smile did not lessen, but the gleam was lost.

The man held up his hand and showed Mikan a button.

She looked up.

It was Natsume.

"I think I'll go now," Kina mumbled, hurriedly moving away. The other two, Mayumi and Kina, bid them quick goodbyes before following suit.

Mikan did not move.

Kaoru said, "I'll be waiting in the car," before moving away from the two herself.

"Won't you take it?" Natsume asked, offering his hand closer.

Mikan did not say anything and just went on looking at him.

Natsume sighed and reached for her palm and placed the button on her slightly shaking hand. "When I graduated," he said, "I received a number of buttons. From boys and girls alike. Until now, I still haven't figured if their intentions were innocent or not."

Mikan smiled a little, and then pocketed the button, along with all the others.

Natsume faltered a little. "I'm sorry," he said.

Mikan shook her head. "That's alright. I'm used to it anyway."

"Of people leaving you?" He'd rather it come from his mouth than hers.

"No," Mikan said simply. "Of people breaking their promise."

* * *

**A/N**: Here's a little treat for my readers; Happy 2013, everyone, and may we have an awesome one ;)


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